There is so much promise coming up for next year. We are just coming off a tremendous production of "A Few Good Men" (voted one of the top ten productions of 2010 by Lavender magazine) and we have a phenominal season planned for 2011. I feel like this could be a huge year for USP!! We've put together a very talented cast for "Leave" which opens in February. We are doing some amazing things with it as far as staging. We are doing it in the round! With the audience on stage with the performers!!
I hope everyone out there can get as excited about this season as we all are. Have a safe and happy New Year!!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Audition Jitters
Despite feeling really excited about the upcoming auditions for my play, "Leave," with Urban Samurai Productions, apparently my unconscious can't help tweaking me. I woke up on Saturday morning and it took me a couple of minutes to realize, "Oh, none of that actually happened. The auditions haven't taken place yet. Everything's fine. That was a dream."
I don't normally remember my dreams, or that I've even been dreaming, so it takes something major to break through and screw with my head. This production's major, so it certainly qualifies. And the dream was more a personal sort of "Wow, I'm doing everything wrong and missing the auditions for my play" kind of thing, rather than the auditions themselves going badly. It was just all a bit surreal, and I was getting sidetracked, and felt like I was letting the production down somehow. (A subset of directors probably wouldn't mind if the playwright was missing in action. Thankfully, Artistic Director Matt Greseth would actually miss his playwright. He loves new work, has great storytelling instincts, and enjoys working with writers to develop scripts. I'm a lucky playwright.)
And I've been pounding the electronic pavement to get the word out. Of course, a lot of good actors are already committed to other shows. A bunch more actors I know are Equity and this is a non-union house at present. Then you've got the subject matter. Gays in the military in this case means gays pairing up, which means physical intimacy, and some partial nudity. That's a tough sell for some actors, gay or straight, and I completely understand that. So we have to find four actors playing in the age range of late teens to early thirties (depending on how the pairings shake out) who are willing to go there. Otherwise the play doesn't work. Toss on the pile the fact that three of them have to look convincing as military or ex-military - one Army, two Marines - and we've got another degree of difficulty. Plus, the one female role is the mother of one of those Marines, so we have to get another sort of pairing to look like it makes sense.
It was almost weirder to put the word out to my actress friends. Because, in my head, my compatriots and I are all still in our mid to late 20s. Logically, and chronologically, I know that isn't true. But the way you feel internally isn't always what's reflected back to you in the mirror over the bathroom sink in the morning. Let's face it, if I sired a kid at the age of 25, that child and I would now be able to legally sit down and have a beer together in a bar. Yikes. Time marches on. Even so, I still felt strange asking, as if it was more insulting to ask an actress friend of mine to audition for the part of someone's mother than it was to ask a guy to take a role where he'd have to kiss another dude onstage. (Not that there's anything wrong with any of that. It's just the way my brain was throwing stuff back at me.)
So, in addition to continuing to work on the rewrites, I figured I'd throw another blog entry out there. After all, no human being can see all the theater in this town. There's always a new theater company I'm being introduced to for the first time. New actors, young and old, appear on the scene with delightful and dizzying frequency. If anyone in or out of my network hasn't seen the post on Callboard or MinnesotaPlaylist, well, maybe they'll trip across the blog instead.
Here's where I'll be next Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Perhaps I'll be seeing you there, dreams to the contrary notwithstanding.
Here's the synopsis...
Leave
Seth is a young Marine serving during wartime. Nicholas is his civilian husband who waits back home. In addition to the strain on their relationship caused by distance and absence, they must hide their love for one another behind code words and secret identities because of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the United States military.
Seth’s mother Anne assists them by providing the cover of a woman’s handwriting for Nicholas’ daily letters, but Nicholas and Seth’s resolve is starting to weaken.
Jonas, another young gay Marine in Seth’s unit just coming to terms with his identity, forms an intense bond with Seth overseas.
Tyson, a former Army soldier who got fed up with “don’t ask, don’t tell” and didn’t reenlist, now works alongside Nicholas, providing temptation as well as a reality check.
When Seth returns home for an unexpected leave, with Jonas at his side, and post-traumatic stress following him from the battlefield, old relationships are tested, and new ones bloom. In the end, the realities of war call on one man to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Audition Information
Urban Samurai Productions (USP) invites you to audition for its upcoming production
Leave
Written by Matthew A. Everett
Directed by Matthew Greseth
Leave is an original script by local playwright Matthew A. Everett regarding the U.S. Military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. The play focuses not only on the difficulties that gay men have serving in the military, but also the effect of the policy on their loved ones back home, who must hide their feelings for fear of accidentally outing their partner. USP will open Season 2011 with a full production of this world premiere of Matthew A. Everett's expanded version of the play, which has been presented as a one-act at previous venues.
Stipend: $200
Performances: February 11-26, 2011
Rehearsals: An initial read-through and script discussion will take place before the end of the year. Regular rehearsals will begin in January 2011 and take place Sunday afternoons/Monday-Thursday evenings at SJCC.
Auditions: Monday, November 8th & Tuesday, November 9th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Callbacks: Thursday, November 11th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm - (please note, this is a change)
(callbacks were originally scheduled for Wednesday, November 10th)
Auditions will consist of readings from the script and actors will be seen in 10-minute intervals.
All roles in this production are OPEN:
Tyson - 20-35 - Took a voluntary discharge from the military because he refused to serve under a policy that made him hide his true self.
Seth - 20-30 - Marine who chooses to hide his homosexuality in order to serve in the military.
Nicholas - 20-30 - Seth's partner
Jonas - 18-25 - Marine in Seth's unit who is trying to come to terms with being gay.
Anne - 35-50 - Seth's mother
All male actors involved in this production must be comfortable with partial nudity and with portraying homosexual intimacy, including kissing.
To make an audition appointment for Leave, please contact Managing Director, Ryan Grimes, at ryan AT urbansamurai DOT org. As USP will be holding auditions for two productions within a week of each other, please clearly state in your email the production for which you are auditioning, the date and time you would prefer to audition, and your gender. Please bring a headshot and resume to your audition(s) and arrive early to complete an informational form. USP encourages all interested actors to audition for this production; there are no race-specific characters in Leave.
Audition, Rehearsal, and Performance Venue:
Sabes Jewish Community Center
(near the intersection of I-394 and MN-100)
4330 Cedar Lake Road
Minneapolis, MN 55416
The use of Mapquest or a similar driving directions application is strongly discouraged. Please visit sabesjcc.org for directions to the SJCC from most areas of the Twin Cities.
For more information about Urban Samurai Productions please visit our website at urbansamurai.org
I don't normally remember my dreams, or that I've even been dreaming, so it takes something major to break through and screw with my head. This production's major, so it certainly qualifies. And the dream was more a personal sort of "Wow, I'm doing everything wrong and missing the auditions for my play" kind of thing, rather than the auditions themselves going badly. It was just all a bit surreal, and I was getting sidetracked, and felt like I was letting the production down somehow. (A subset of directors probably wouldn't mind if the playwright was missing in action. Thankfully, Artistic Director Matt Greseth would actually miss his playwright. He loves new work, has great storytelling instincts, and enjoys working with writers to develop scripts. I'm a lucky playwright.)
And I've been pounding the electronic pavement to get the word out. Of course, a lot of good actors are already committed to other shows. A bunch more actors I know are Equity and this is a non-union house at present. Then you've got the subject matter. Gays in the military in this case means gays pairing up, which means physical intimacy, and some partial nudity. That's a tough sell for some actors, gay or straight, and I completely understand that. So we have to find four actors playing in the age range of late teens to early thirties (depending on how the pairings shake out) who are willing to go there. Otherwise the play doesn't work. Toss on the pile the fact that three of them have to look convincing as military or ex-military - one Army, two Marines - and we've got another degree of difficulty. Plus, the one female role is the mother of one of those Marines, so we have to get another sort of pairing to look like it makes sense.
It was almost weirder to put the word out to my actress friends. Because, in my head, my compatriots and I are all still in our mid to late 20s. Logically, and chronologically, I know that isn't true. But the way you feel internally isn't always what's reflected back to you in the mirror over the bathroom sink in the morning. Let's face it, if I sired a kid at the age of 25, that child and I would now be able to legally sit down and have a beer together in a bar. Yikes. Time marches on. Even so, I still felt strange asking, as if it was more insulting to ask an actress friend of mine to audition for the part of someone's mother than it was to ask a guy to take a role where he'd have to kiss another dude onstage. (Not that there's anything wrong with any of that. It's just the way my brain was throwing stuff back at me.)
So, in addition to continuing to work on the rewrites, I figured I'd throw another blog entry out there. After all, no human being can see all the theater in this town. There's always a new theater company I'm being introduced to for the first time. New actors, young and old, appear on the scene with delightful and dizzying frequency. If anyone in or out of my network hasn't seen the post on Callboard or MinnesotaPlaylist, well, maybe they'll trip across the blog instead.
Here's where I'll be next Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Perhaps I'll be seeing you there, dreams to the contrary notwithstanding.
Here's the synopsis...
Leave
Seth is a young Marine serving during wartime. Nicholas is his civilian husband who waits back home. In addition to the strain on their relationship caused by distance and absence, they must hide their love for one another behind code words and secret identities because of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the United States military.
Seth’s mother Anne assists them by providing the cover of a woman’s handwriting for Nicholas’ daily letters, but Nicholas and Seth’s resolve is starting to weaken.
Jonas, another young gay Marine in Seth’s unit just coming to terms with his identity, forms an intense bond with Seth overseas.
Tyson, a former Army soldier who got fed up with “don’t ask, don’t tell” and didn’t reenlist, now works alongside Nicholas, providing temptation as well as a reality check.
When Seth returns home for an unexpected leave, with Jonas at his side, and post-traumatic stress following him from the battlefield, old relationships are tested, and new ones bloom. In the end, the realities of war call on one man to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Audition Information
Urban Samurai Productions (USP) invites you to audition for its upcoming production
Leave
Written by Matthew A. Everett
Directed by Matthew Greseth
Leave is an original script by local playwright Matthew A. Everett regarding the U.S. Military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. The play focuses not only on the difficulties that gay men have serving in the military, but also the effect of the policy on their loved ones back home, who must hide their feelings for fear of accidentally outing their partner. USP will open Season 2011 with a full production of this world premiere of Matthew A. Everett's expanded version of the play, which has been presented as a one-act at previous venues.
Stipend: $200
Performances: February 11-26, 2011
Rehearsals: An initial read-through and script discussion will take place before the end of the year. Regular rehearsals will begin in January 2011 and take place Sunday afternoons/Monday-Thursday evenings at SJCC.
Auditions: Monday, November 8th & Tuesday, November 9th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Callbacks: Thursday, November 11th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm - (please note, this is a change)
(callbacks were originally scheduled for Wednesday, November 10th)
Auditions will consist of readings from the script and actors will be seen in 10-minute intervals.
All roles in this production are OPEN:
Tyson - 20-35 - Took a voluntary discharge from the military because he refused to serve under a policy that made him hide his true self.
Seth - 20-30 - Marine who chooses to hide his homosexuality in order to serve in the military.
Nicholas - 20-30 - Seth's partner
Jonas - 18-25 - Marine in Seth's unit who is trying to come to terms with being gay.
Anne - 35-50 - Seth's mother
All male actors involved in this production must be comfortable with partial nudity and with portraying homosexual intimacy, including kissing.
To make an audition appointment for Leave, please contact Managing Director, Ryan Grimes, at ryan AT urbansamurai DOT org. As USP will be holding auditions for two productions within a week of each other, please clearly state in your email the production for which you are auditioning, the date and time you would prefer to audition, and your gender. Please bring a headshot and resume to your audition(s) and arrive early to complete an informational form. USP encourages all interested actors to audition for this production; there are no race-specific characters in Leave.
Audition, Rehearsal, and Performance Venue:
Sabes Jewish Community Center
(near the intersection of I-394 and MN-100)
4330 Cedar Lake Road
Minneapolis, MN 55416
The use of Mapquest or a similar driving directions application is strongly discouraged. Please visit sabesjcc.org for directions to the SJCC from most areas of the Twin Cities.
For more information about Urban Samurai Productions please visit our website at urbansamurai.org
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Oops...
So I have missed out on most of the summer of my responsibility to blog every Saturday. What can I say, I've been busy. I got married, am having a baby, and am in rehearsals for A Few Good Men.
What's that you say? When does that start? Well it starts soon!! On Friday September 24th at 7:30 this amazing production will be brought to the masses for the first time. Are going to be there to witness the birth of awesome? Are you going to be on the front lines to become a part of theater synergy unlike anything seen before? Or are you gonna come later and hear about it second hand like a loser? I knew you would be coming opening night :) You guys are so smart!!
Anyhoo, I'll be playing Lt. Jack Ross. You know, Keven Bacon. Of course, I am not playing the part like Kevin Bacon did. But I did shave my head for the part, which hasn't made the wife too happy.
So come see my newly shaved head and an amazing cast as we kick off this terrific production. We shall see you Friday...
What's that you say? When does that start? Well it starts soon!! On Friday September 24th at 7:30 this amazing production will be brought to the masses for the first time. Are going to be there to witness the birth of awesome? Are you going to be on the front lines to become a part of theater synergy unlike anything seen before? Or are you gonna come later and hear about it second hand like a loser? I knew you would be coming opening night :) You guys are so smart!!
Anyhoo, I'll be playing Lt. Jack Ross. You know, Keven Bacon. Of course, I am not playing the part like Kevin Bacon did. But I did shave my head for the part, which hasn't made the wife too happy.
So come see my newly shaved head and an amazing cast as we kick off this terrific production. We shall see you Friday...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - Another Step in the Crescendo of Energy
Yes, I've been observing the last few rehearsals as assistant director of A Few Good Men and I already have a Matt Greseth gem to quote. It's just one indication of a great rehearsal process so far. This cast is so talented and is already working off book. After three rehearsals. That's nutso!
But we're taking a break from rehearsals tomorrow night for our first ever Urban Samurai FUNdraiser at Park Tavern Bowling & Entertainment Center in St. Louis Park. With bowling, door prizes, an exhibition bowling game, grand raffle prizes, and karaoke - not to mention fun times with USP friends and family - it's sure to be an event to remember. So you should come!
If you don't have it in your plans already, drop by tomorrow night and have an amazing time. $10 gets you through the doorway to FUNtown! Don't miss it!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
But we're taking a break from rehearsals tomorrow night for our first ever Urban Samurai FUNdraiser at Park Tavern Bowling & Entertainment Center in St. Louis Park. With bowling, door prizes, an exhibition bowling game, grand raffle prizes, and karaoke - not to mention fun times with USP friends and family - it's sure to be an event to remember. So you should come!
If you don't have it in your plans already, drop by tomorrow night and have an amazing time. $10 gets you through the doorway to FUNtown! Don't miss it!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Sunday, August 22, 2010
FUNdraisers!
This is the first fundraiser I've ever been in charge of. It's also Urban Samurai's first fundraiser. Coincidence? I think not.
I can tell you that it has been a learning process. It has also been ulcerating. My ulcer is quite intelligent now.
But I think it will all be worthwhile when we come together on Wednesday to bowl and have a good time. Until then I'm sure I forgot at least one thing. I will remember this thing the night before. Or maybe on the drive there.
I truly hope a lot of people come, and that everyone has a good time. Cause at the end of the day, it's about the fun. Well, actually it's about raising money to match grant funds, but you understand what I mean. Matching grant funds is fun. And so is bowling.
On a semi-related note: I think raffles may be obsolete. No one carries cash or checks anymore, and it's illegal to sell them on the internet (we discovered). Whatever. So how are you supposed to sell raffle tickets if no one carries cash?
So if you are reading this, then you are a friend of Urban Samurai. So come out to Park Tavern on Wednesday and celebrate 5 awesome years of theater producing goodness. And for christsake, bring cash.
Friday, August 20, 2010
And so it begins...
Well folks, yesterday evening, several actors, one director and one stage manager from all across the metro gathered together and started...A Few Good Men rehearsals. It was an unconventional start to the process with no read-thru (causing one stage manager to have to read the play before rehearsals actually started), but it didn't even faze anyone. Clearly the actors have been reading the script, studying the lines and the characters, and are already right on pace...of course this is after only one night. But when an actor comes in and can pretty much do a scene off book day one, I'm thinking these people mean business. So yay to the actors thus far! You are impressing me already!! Now just get me your bios and headshots...;)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Bowling and Running and Writing (Not Necessarily In That Order)
The 2010 Minnesota Fringe Festival is history.
I saw a show in every slot again this year, including the encore. 56 performances, 53 shows (Three I went back for a second look, one of those I even had a very odd cameo appearance in). 29 reviews down, 24 to go.
The day after the Fringe, an epic Fringe Decompression podcast with Josh Humphreys and Nick Decker for Twin Cities Theater Connection, which should be posting in the near future.
Back at the day jobs, a lot of catching up to do.
And of course there's a play to write (the first of a couple, actually, which is nice)
Tomorrow, I head down to Winona with two vanloads of teammates for the Ragnar Relay's Great River Run. It's a 24 hour run from Winona, up along the Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side, and back into Minnesota around Stillwater, running on back to Minneapolis. 192 miles. 12 runners, doing three legs of the relay each. I'm the 6th runner on my team, last in my van (Van 1)to go, handing off to the 2nd half of the team in Van 2 when I'm done. We got a late start time for our team (2pm), so I won't be starting my first leg til around 6pm. 8.3 miles. Then I've got a breather til around 3:30 in the morning Friday/Saturday, when I run another 7.1 miles. Then my last leg will hit around 11:15 in the morning Saturday, only 3.5 miles. That one's rated "Moderate," my first two are both rated "Very Hard" (gulp). 18.9 miles total. Needless to say, I scheduled myself off from pretty much everything on Sunday.
And because that's not quite enough to completely derail the blogging for a few days, how about we throw in a bowling night fundraiser for my new artistic home, Urban Samurai Productions?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
8pm to closing time
$10 to bowl all night (it includes the shoe and ball rental)
Park Tavern Bowling and Entertainment Center
3401 Louisiana Ave S
St. Louis Park, MN
You can get your tickets online or at the door.
Also, they're raffling off three monster prize packages - $10 per raffle ticket, or you can get 3 for $25. Here, too, you can order raffle tix online now, or grab yourself some the night of the event. Better yet, why not do both?
The prizes...
Grand Prize - Ultimate Jackpot Getaway
A Weekend Stay at Mystic Lake Resort & Casino
Gift card for your choice of activity at Mystic Lake
Centerspace Pilates Gift Certificate
Urban Samurai Season 2011 Tickets (includes a new full-length version of my play "Leave")
Gift Basket from Caldrea
Bottle of Wine from Wine Time
Guthrie Theater Tickets
2nd Place - Theater Lover's Package
Urban Samurai Season 2011 Tickets
Theatre Unbound Tickets
Theatre Pro Rata Tickets
Crave Restaurant Gift Certificate
3rd Place - Comedy Lover's Package
Urban Samurai Season 2011 Tickets
Comedy Sportz Tickets
Brave New Workshop Tickets
Chipotle Restaurant Gift Card
So, you know, bowl, win stuff, support live theater, everybody feels good.
The Samurai website says...
"Urban Samurai Productions is celebrating Season 2010 by knocking down pins! Everyone's invited to the Park Tavern to join us for unlimited bowling, raffles, games, karaoke, and general merriment. Whether you're the King Pin or Gutterball Grand Poobah, it's sure to be a smashing good time, all supporting theater with Urban Samurai!
Bowling on the lanes with karaoke! A raffle with FABULOUS prizes and bowling challenges for awards! HILARIOUS entertainment! Drinks and food available in the restaurant and bar for purchase. Because this is a grown up event, Park Tavern requests that all guests be 21 or older.
What if you can't make it? It can't be true! Well, life happens, (sigh). But don't fret. You can still share in the fun by entering the raffle for fabulous prizes, or making a tax deductible donation to Urban Samurai. That way, you can be a part of making future productions possible."
And the day after all that, I turn 46.
Yikes. Where'd that year go?
I saw a show in every slot again this year, including the encore. 56 performances, 53 shows (Three I went back for a second look, one of those I even had a very odd cameo appearance in). 29 reviews down, 24 to go.
The day after the Fringe, an epic Fringe Decompression podcast with Josh Humphreys and Nick Decker for Twin Cities Theater Connection, which should be posting in the near future.
Back at the day jobs, a lot of catching up to do.
And of course there's a play to write (the first of a couple, actually, which is nice)
Tomorrow, I head down to Winona with two vanloads of teammates for the Ragnar Relay's Great River Run. It's a 24 hour run from Winona, up along the Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side, and back into Minnesota around Stillwater, running on back to Minneapolis. 192 miles. 12 runners, doing three legs of the relay each. I'm the 6th runner on my team, last in my van (Van 1)to go, handing off to the 2nd half of the team in Van 2 when I'm done. We got a late start time for our team (2pm), so I won't be starting my first leg til around 6pm. 8.3 miles. Then I've got a breather til around 3:30 in the morning Friday/Saturday, when I run another 7.1 miles. Then my last leg will hit around 11:15 in the morning Saturday, only 3.5 miles. That one's rated "Moderate," my first two are both rated "Very Hard" (gulp). 18.9 miles total. Needless to say, I scheduled myself off from pretty much everything on Sunday.
And because that's not quite enough to completely derail the blogging for a few days, how about we throw in a bowling night fundraiser for my new artistic home, Urban Samurai Productions?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
8pm to closing time
$10 to bowl all night (it includes the shoe and ball rental)
Park Tavern Bowling and Entertainment Center
3401 Louisiana Ave S
St. Louis Park, MN
You can get your tickets online or at the door.
Also, they're raffling off three monster prize packages - $10 per raffle ticket, or you can get 3 for $25. Here, too, you can order raffle tix online now, or grab yourself some the night of the event. Better yet, why not do both?
The prizes...
Grand Prize - Ultimate Jackpot Getaway
A Weekend Stay at Mystic Lake Resort & Casino
Gift card for your choice of activity at Mystic Lake
Centerspace Pilates Gift Certificate
Urban Samurai Season 2011 Tickets (includes a new full-length version of my play "Leave")
Gift Basket from Caldrea
Bottle of Wine from Wine Time
Guthrie Theater Tickets
2nd Place - Theater Lover's Package
Urban Samurai Season 2011 Tickets
Theatre Unbound Tickets
Theatre Pro Rata Tickets
Crave Restaurant Gift Certificate
3rd Place - Comedy Lover's Package
Urban Samurai Season 2011 Tickets
Comedy Sportz Tickets
Brave New Workshop Tickets
Chipotle Restaurant Gift Card
So, you know, bowl, win stuff, support live theater, everybody feels good.
The Samurai website says...
"Urban Samurai Productions is celebrating Season 2010 by knocking down pins! Everyone's invited to the Park Tavern to join us for unlimited bowling, raffles, games, karaoke, and general merriment. Whether you're the King Pin or Gutterball Grand Poobah, it's sure to be a smashing good time, all supporting theater with Urban Samurai!
Bowling on the lanes with karaoke! A raffle with FABULOUS prizes and bowling challenges for awards! HILARIOUS entertainment! Drinks and food available in the restaurant and bar for purchase. Because this is a grown up event, Park Tavern requests that all guests be 21 or older.
What if you can't make it? It can't be true! Well, life happens, (sigh). But don't fret. You can still share in the fun by entering the raffle for fabulous prizes, or making a tax deductible donation to Urban Samurai. That way, you can be a part of making future productions possible."
And the day after all that, I turn 46.
Yikes. Where'd that year go?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Checking in from the Fringes
Hey all
Another Thursday out Fringing, so the only blogging you'll be seeing out of me is here...
See you after the Minnesota Fringe Festival dust has settled.
Meanwhile, don't forget the upcoming Samurai bowling night (Wednesday, August 25th!)
Another Thursday out Fringing, so the only blogging you'll be seeing out of me is here...
See you after the Minnesota Fringe Festival dust has settled.
Meanwhile, don't forget the upcoming Samurai bowling night (Wednesday, August 25th!)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - What Day Is It?
I've been slacking for the last month and I know it. And this week, I thought, "Ooh, I'll post on the blog this week!" And then I logged in today and realized it's Wednesday, not Tuesday, and that I'm a moron.
Well, what else is new?
OK, so here's the deal: It's been a crazy summer and I can't even believe it's almost over. Isn't that depressing? Sure, not as depressing as this disgusting weather we've been having (don't talk to me about humidity...it won't be a fun conversation), but all that time I thought I'd have this summer...GONE!
We start A Few Good Men rehearsals in the coming weeks. That production I thought was so far into the fall is now within reach. Seriously, where does the time go? I'll be assistant directing for the production, though my time with Men will be limited due to my commitment to perform in Minneapolis Musical Theatre's Evil Dead: The Musical. Fall will be yet another busy time of this year, but I probably wouldn't want it any other way.
One thing I'm going to do to try to kick back and relax before fall is our super awesome Urban Samurai Bowling FUNdraiser that is coming up on Wednesday, August 25th. The Park Tavern in St. Louis Park has donated their fine establishment to host bowling, karaoke, games, and just all-around merriment to celebrate Urban Samurai's Season 2010. It will be a blast and we hope to see all our supporters there.
But, let's be real. What I'm really stoked about is our raffle at the FUNdraiser. There's three prize packages up for grabs, each with its own theme. The grand jackpot includes a weekend stay at Mystic Lake and a giftcard for one of the many activities available at the resort. The prize packages also include tickets to the Guthrie, Theatre Unbound, Theatre Pro Rata, ComedySportz, Brave New Workshop, not to mention season passes for Urban Samurai's Season 2011.
Are you salivating yet? OK, here's the scoop. More information about the raffle, as well as a way to get your raffle tickets online (and advance admission to the event), is at our website. More specifically, http://www.urbansamurai.org/news.
Do it up!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Well, what else is new?
OK, so here's the deal: It's been a crazy summer and I can't even believe it's almost over. Isn't that depressing? Sure, not as depressing as this disgusting weather we've been having (don't talk to me about humidity...it won't be a fun conversation), but all that time I thought I'd have this summer...GONE!
We start A Few Good Men rehearsals in the coming weeks. That production I thought was so far into the fall is now within reach. Seriously, where does the time go? I'll be assistant directing for the production, though my time with Men will be limited due to my commitment to perform in Minneapolis Musical Theatre's Evil Dead: The Musical. Fall will be yet another busy time of this year, but I probably wouldn't want it any other way.
One thing I'm going to do to try to kick back and relax before fall is our super awesome Urban Samurai Bowling FUNdraiser that is coming up on Wednesday, August 25th. The Park Tavern in St. Louis Park has donated their fine establishment to host bowling, karaoke, games, and just all-around merriment to celebrate Urban Samurai's Season 2010. It will be a blast and we hope to see all our supporters there.
But, let's be real. What I'm really stoked about is our raffle at the FUNdraiser. There's three prize packages up for grabs, each with its own theme. The grand jackpot includes a weekend stay at Mystic Lake and a giftcard for one of the many activities available at the resort. The prize packages also include tickets to the Guthrie, Theatre Unbound, Theatre Pro Rata, ComedySportz, Brave New Workshop, not to mention season passes for Urban Samurai's Season 2011.
Are you salivating yet? OK, here's the scoop. More information about the raffle, as well as a way to get your raffle tickets online (and advance admission to the event), is at our website. More specifically, http://www.urbansamurai.org/news.
Do it up!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Friday, August 6, 2010
Some Men and One Women
Well things are underway for A Few Good Men! And so far so good! Emails are a pouring out, getting conflicts, giving information, it never seems to end. It's crazy how it's less than a month before we start and I've already learned so much from the cast, and I haven't even met half of them! But nonetheless, it will be a good one! I am truly looking forward to meeting these fine actors and settling in for a show that I actually get to work on from start to finish, with virtually no interruptions!! This scenario has not happened, since, well, um, about 3 years ago. And I say boo to that. You become so distanced when you have to take off even one night. I hate that feeling that I missed so much...even though it may only have been one 3 hour rehearsal. But alas, as I said, this won't happen during the course of this show! And thank goodness, because working with a cast this large, keeping everything straight is the most important thing.
So cheers to us, getting the ball rolling and looking forward to the read-thru!
So cheers to us, getting the ball rolling and looking forward to the read-thru!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Fringe Break
Hey all
This Thursday and likely next Thursday, the only blogging you'll be seeing out of me is here...
See you after the Minnesota Fringe Festival dust has settled.
Meanwhile, don't forget the upcoming Samurai bowling night (Wednesday, August 25th!)
This Thursday and likely next Thursday, the only blogging you'll be seeing out of me is here...
See you after the Minnesota Fringe Festival dust has settled.
Meanwhile, don't forget the upcoming Samurai bowling night (Wednesday, August 25th!)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Taking The Rules for Granted
Urban Samurai Artistic Director Matt Greseth gave me a lot of really good advice at our first script meeting for "Leave". I took those notes with me to the Great Plains Theatre Conference and poured over them any spare moment I got. They're pretty much embedded in my brain at this point. As I go through the script again to rebuild it, scene by scene, those are the guideposts I keep looping back to.
Some of it was practical advice, from the standpoint of an audience member who had never seen or read the play before, hadn't been part of any of its development, wouldn't take anything for granted. What confused him would confuse an audience member encountering the play for the first time.
There's a scene toward the beginning where Seth, the Marine, and his civilian husband Nicholas exchange letters in code. Seth's mother, Anne, is copying Nicholas' letter over in a woman's handwriting, so as not to arouse suspicion. The letter she writes, and reads, is in code. The conversation between Seth and Nicholas is the meaning hidden behind the code.
But as the scene was written, the audience might have a hard time following along. They don't know the rules of the play yet, or the rules aren't yet clear. I was taking those rules for granted. I know that Seth is overseas, and Nicholas waits back home, and that they aren't really having that conversation directly in the same space. But how is anyone else supposed to know that? I was so concerned with making sure that I established a connection between the two men, that I forgot it was also important to establish the distance between them, and their separation.
And if the audience is spending their time, even a tiny fraction of time, trying to figure out what the hell is going on in terms of structure, they'll miss what's going on in terms of story and character and content. Which would be bad, and a missed opportunity. You want to enter into a contract with your audience, to bring them along on the story - not to spoonfeed them, but also not to leave them behind.
Now Nicholas and Seth still get to be onstage together, but they don't get to see each other. Matt suggested maybe Nicholas was looking at a photo album with pictures of Seth, since Nicholas references pictures later, and a photograph of Nicholas is all that Seth can keep with him to remind him of the man he loves (though even that he needs to lie about). They are together, but separate. The letter Anne is working on seems like more of a vital link between them.
We still get a lot of the same information - the day of their first kiss that became the marker for their anniversary, the strength of the bond between them - but we also get the distance. We know that something is missing, and that something major will need to happen to bring them back together in the same place. The timetable and demands of combat don't allow for regular weekends, or dependable vacation time.
How will they each have changed by the time they see one another again? How long can the situation as it stands continue?
Hopefully we get a window into what's at risk, and what's worth fighting for, and the cost of that personal battle. And the odds of losing it.
Some of it was practical advice, from the standpoint of an audience member who had never seen or read the play before, hadn't been part of any of its development, wouldn't take anything for granted. What confused him would confuse an audience member encountering the play for the first time.
There's a scene toward the beginning where Seth, the Marine, and his civilian husband Nicholas exchange letters in code. Seth's mother, Anne, is copying Nicholas' letter over in a woman's handwriting, so as not to arouse suspicion. The letter she writes, and reads, is in code. The conversation between Seth and Nicholas is the meaning hidden behind the code.
But as the scene was written, the audience might have a hard time following along. They don't know the rules of the play yet, or the rules aren't yet clear. I was taking those rules for granted. I know that Seth is overseas, and Nicholas waits back home, and that they aren't really having that conversation directly in the same space. But how is anyone else supposed to know that? I was so concerned with making sure that I established a connection between the two men, that I forgot it was also important to establish the distance between them, and their separation.
And if the audience is spending their time, even a tiny fraction of time, trying to figure out what the hell is going on in terms of structure, they'll miss what's going on in terms of story and character and content. Which would be bad, and a missed opportunity. You want to enter into a contract with your audience, to bring them along on the story - not to spoonfeed them, but also not to leave them behind.
Now Nicholas and Seth still get to be onstage together, but they don't get to see each other. Matt suggested maybe Nicholas was looking at a photo album with pictures of Seth, since Nicholas references pictures later, and a photograph of Nicholas is all that Seth can keep with him to remind him of the man he loves (though even that he needs to lie about). They are together, but separate. The letter Anne is working on seems like more of a vital link between them.
We still get a lot of the same information - the day of their first kiss that became the marker for their anniversary, the strength of the bond between them - but we also get the distance. We know that something is missing, and that something major will need to happen to bring them back together in the same place. The timetable and demands of combat don't allow for regular weekends, or dependable vacation time.
How will they each have changed by the time they see one another again? How long can the situation as it stands continue?
Hopefully we get a window into what's at risk, and what's worth fighting for, and the cost of that personal battle. And the odds of losing it.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Whew....
So as you may have heard from a certain other blogger, I got married a couple of weeks ago. It is crazy how much planning goes into a wedding for about 12 hours of activities. I compared it to putting up a play. It takes about 6 months of planning in total for a production including all the marketing, money raising, pre-planning, casting, rehearsing, and teching. It is remarkable how close that is to what we did for our wedding. We had to "cast" the people who would be in the wedding. We had to raise enough money to be able to DO the wedding. We had to even rehearse and tech the thing. All this took about 9 months of planning. The big difference is that you get at least 10 runs in of a play. This whole thing was over in a day and a half (including the rehearsal dinner). What's even more weird, is that I was equally as tired after the whole ordeal. So I propose this, Twin Cities:
After every show someone should pay for everyone to go on a "Honeymoon" to recoup. How about it?! Isn't that exactly what everyone needs after a show? About a week to rest and get your minds back from the fry-zone? There should be a grant out there that would give us money to do this. I'll check on it and get back to you...
After every show someone should pay for everyone to go on a "Honeymoon" to recoup. How about it?! Isn't that exactly what everyone needs after a show? About a week to rest and get your minds back from the fry-zone? There should be a grant out there that would give us money to do this. I'll check on it and get back to you...
Friday, July 23, 2010
The second Hessburg
Here I am, the second official Hessburg of the group:) The wedding biz is over, and quite a success. It is strange to admit, that as organized as I am, and perhaps always wanting to be in control, I completely let go and let other people take the reigns on the wedding day! Was it difficult? Not really, I guess you could say that my focus was on not crying. So I just sat back, let other people tell me what to do, where to stand, when to go...and I didn't have to worry about a thing!
But have no fear, I am back and at it in full force! I don't let my stage managing duties lay around for too long...
A Few Good Men is underway! No, not rehearsals quite yet, but emails, planning and all the whatnots are starting to pick up and get figured out! What am I excited about the most? Actually starting rehearsals! I am excited to meet all these fabulous actors and get this thing rolling! I know this will mean an end to summer...but oh well. Fall has always been my fav anyways:)
But have no fear, I am back and at it in full force! I don't let my stage managing duties lay around for too long...
A Few Good Men is underway! No, not rehearsals quite yet, but emails, planning and all the whatnots are starting to pick up and get figured out! What am I excited about the most? Actually starting rehearsals! I am excited to meet all these fabulous actors and get this thing rolling! I know this will mean an end to summer...but oh well. Fall has always been my fav anyways:)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Internet, Why Have You Abandoned Me?
Well, at home anyway. I can't get a consistent signal to save my life. So I spent Tuesday night stewing, and Wednesday night going from one coffee shop to the next til they all closed. Tonight, I'm just going to pester Comcast til they clear it up if it goes down yet again.
So, day job. Short entry.
If I could get online long enough, I'd be sending out messages to try and drum up some silent auction items (mostly theater tickets) for the upcoming Urban Samurai bowling night fundraiser - coming your way on Wednesday, August 25. Save the date!
Since I can't get online long enough, and have to, you know, work at work, if I'm forced offline again at home, while Comcast has me on hold, I may just do something radical like, oh, maybe focus on the rewrites of "Leave" for a while. The world outside the web holds many wonders...
Most of my non-Samurai blogging time these days revolves around the Minnesota Fringe Festival which you can find at the Twin Cities Daily Planet.
OK, day job...
So, day job. Short entry.
If I could get online long enough, I'd be sending out messages to try and drum up some silent auction items (mostly theater tickets) for the upcoming Urban Samurai bowling night fundraiser - coming your way on Wednesday, August 25. Save the date!
Since I can't get online long enough, and have to, you know, work at work, if I'm forced offline again at home, while Comcast has me on hold, I may just do something radical like, oh, maybe focus on the rewrites of "Leave" for a while. The world outside the web holds many wonders...
Most of my non-Samurai blogging time these days revolves around the Minnesota Fringe Festival which you can find at the Twin Cities Daily Planet.
OK, day job...
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words
If you want to see a really cool picture, the beginnings of the publicity images for my play "Leave" (the kickoff for Season 2011 for Urban Samurai) click here.
The photo shoot this week went ridiculously well. The photographer had his own in-house studio jury-rigged in the attic. The two actors just instinctively knew how to take the ideas we had and run with them, which led to the image we all agreed on. Turning and kissing the guy next to him on the top of the head? Totally a spontaneous actor thing. Brilliant.
I was also amused and pleased how there was no jockeying for position. Because, you know, it's two guys. Of course, it helps that the actors knew each other from working together on Hamlet recently. And even thought it's the publicity for a show with gay content, it's not like it was "who's the top, who's the bottom" situation. But one person was going to be held in the other's arms, so someone was doing the holding, and someone was being held. But the actors have both played the same role, Seth the Marine, in previous incarnations of the play. So they both could have made the case for being the hold-er rather than the hold-ee.
But Nick said to Nathan, "You're taller." So if there was any nestling to be going on, logistically Nathan should hold Nick rather than the other way around. And off they went.
There were a lot of great shots, in different configurations, facing the camera as well as facing away, facing each other as well as facing away. After pouring over them, I narrowed it down to seven, with one clearly in the lead. I'll probably upload the runners-up to various places, too, just to not let them go to waste.
Scott the photographer was good about making sure we used the flag correctly. I was just concerned about making sure it never touched the ground but at one point Scott pointed out, "It's backwards. That's not good. It's a sign of distress." Same with an upside down flag. (Oh, right, I saw "In The Valley of Elah". I should have remembered that. Amazing, devastating movie, by the way. Rent it.)
Actually, technically, the flag isn't supposed to be used as a drape at all. So we're in kind of sketchy territory. I'd seen the flag used much more provocatively in other contexts, in advertising and photo spreads, prior to this, but hadn't really thought about the implications. I just thought they were compelling images. The flag has a lot of meaning for me, and I don't use it lightly. Ultimately, it's a show with a deep vein of love of country running through it. And the policies of the government are cloaking these characters, the symbols of the institution are what they're struggling against. Not "our country's bad" but "this is what you have to do right now, if you want to serve your country."
And it's still. not. over.
Which is fine, from a marketing the play standpoint. But nothing would make me happier than this thing becomes a period piece. I've been waiting for that for over ten years. We're closer. But we're not there yet.
Still, the picture looks great.
I need to rewrite the play so it's as good as that picture.
The photo shoot this week went ridiculously well. The photographer had his own in-house studio jury-rigged in the attic. The two actors just instinctively knew how to take the ideas we had and run with them, which led to the image we all agreed on. Turning and kissing the guy next to him on the top of the head? Totally a spontaneous actor thing. Brilliant.
I was also amused and pleased how there was no jockeying for position. Because, you know, it's two guys. Of course, it helps that the actors knew each other from working together on Hamlet recently. And even thought it's the publicity for a show with gay content, it's not like it was "who's the top, who's the bottom" situation. But one person was going to be held in the other's arms, so someone was doing the holding, and someone was being held. But the actors have both played the same role, Seth the Marine, in previous incarnations of the play. So they both could have made the case for being the hold-er rather than the hold-ee.
But Nick said to Nathan, "You're taller." So if there was any nestling to be going on, logistically Nathan should hold Nick rather than the other way around. And off they went.
There were a lot of great shots, in different configurations, facing the camera as well as facing away, facing each other as well as facing away. After pouring over them, I narrowed it down to seven, with one clearly in the lead. I'll probably upload the runners-up to various places, too, just to not let them go to waste.
Scott the photographer was good about making sure we used the flag correctly. I was just concerned about making sure it never touched the ground but at one point Scott pointed out, "It's backwards. That's not good. It's a sign of distress." Same with an upside down flag. (Oh, right, I saw "In The Valley of Elah". I should have remembered that. Amazing, devastating movie, by the way. Rent it.)
Actually, technically, the flag isn't supposed to be used as a drape at all. So we're in kind of sketchy territory. I'd seen the flag used much more provocatively in other contexts, in advertising and photo spreads, prior to this, but hadn't really thought about the implications. I just thought they were compelling images. The flag has a lot of meaning for me, and I don't use it lightly. Ultimately, it's a show with a deep vein of love of country running through it. And the policies of the government are cloaking these characters, the symbols of the institution are what they're struggling against. Not "our country's bad" but "this is what you have to do right now, if you want to serve your country."
And it's still. not. over.
Which is fine, from a marketing the play standpoint. But nothing would make me happier than this thing becomes a period piece. I've been waiting for that for over ten years. We're closer. But we're not there yet.
Still, the picture looks great.
I need to rewrite the play so it's as good as that picture.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Firefly
So there's this TV show that aired on Fox back in 2002 called Firefly. And I remember a lot of my friends raving about it back then, friends I believed to have reliably good taste. That told me over and over what a great show it was and how much I'd love it and how unfortunate it was that it got canceled after only one season. And then a few years later when the the season was released on DVD many other friends who I respected told me that it was an "amazing show", "So well done." and that "You'd love it Aaron, it's right up your alley". And yet for no real reason I never got around to watching it. Days slipped into years and this epic television series that was cut down by Fox prematurely due to budgetary concerns slipped out of memory.
Until this year when I happened to sit down at Matt and Marcia's as they were watching the end of the movie Serenity which as it turned out is the movie that had been produced in celebration and memoriam of this legendary tv show. Evidently there was such a public outcry when Firefly was canceled that Joss Whedon, the creator, writer, and director, was able to drum up enough dough to make a last hurrah feature film. I remember thinking as I watched the closing scene that it seemed a little well, hokey, but I assumed that it was only because I didn't know the back story and I was reassured by Matt, Urban Samurai's artistic director who I hand picked, that I would indeed love this show. If there's anyone's critiques that I take heed to on the quality of a show whether its stage or film its Matt's.
So a couple of nights ago I noticed that Firefly was now available for instant viewing on NetFlix. NetFlix described it as "The beloved short lived television series." And so I decided right then and there that I was finally going to see what the buzz was all about. I fired up the pilot which was 86 minutes long. And as the story unfolded before me in all its apparent glory I couldn't help but notice that the show was in all accounts incredibly cheesy. I mean you couldn't make the show anymore cheesy if they started dumping fresh mozzarella on their heads. If you've never seen Firefly the basic concept is Gun Smoke meets Star Trek. No seriously that's what it is, its cowboys in space. It's a group of people flying around in a spaceship that looks vaguely like a horse all wearing outfits that are the love-child of John Wayne and Mark Hamill's respective movie wardrobes. And they fly around to all these different planets that all look exactly like Arizona where they have bar brawls and shoots outs in canyons. And then occasionally the "Alliance" whose ships, uniforms, and attitude are a carbon copy of the Empire from Star Wars swoops in on a occasion to add a little extra tension. I found there was an astounding amount of predictability in the scripting and the acting a slight step above The Young and the Restless. I could not believe my eyes. This, this is what all the fuss was about? Really? They have the spaceship buzzing a herd of wild mustangs in the opening credits for crise-sakes!
Now I must admit I went into this with very very very high expectations. But what I found most appalling about this cornball show is that I effing LOVED IT!!!! I'm already half way through the season. It completely blows my mind that I can look at this show with extremely scrutinizing eyes find all its faults and still completely adore it. God I'm a geek, and my friends know it.
Until this year when I happened to sit down at Matt and Marcia's as they were watching the end of the movie Serenity which as it turned out is the movie that had been produced in celebration and memoriam of this legendary tv show. Evidently there was such a public outcry when Firefly was canceled that Joss Whedon, the creator, writer, and director, was able to drum up enough dough to make a last hurrah feature film. I remember thinking as I watched the closing scene that it seemed a little well, hokey, but I assumed that it was only because I didn't know the back story and I was reassured by Matt, Urban Samurai's artistic director who I hand picked, that I would indeed love this show. If there's anyone's critiques that I take heed to on the quality of a show whether its stage or film its Matt's.
So a couple of nights ago I noticed that Firefly was now available for instant viewing on NetFlix. NetFlix described it as "The beloved short lived television series." And so I decided right then and there that I was finally going to see what the buzz was all about. I fired up the pilot which was 86 minutes long. And as the story unfolded before me in all its apparent glory I couldn't help but notice that the show was in all accounts incredibly cheesy. I mean you couldn't make the show anymore cheesy if they started dumping fresh mozzarella on their heads. If you've never seen Firefly the basic concept is Gun Smoke meets Star Trek. No seriously that's what it is, its cowboys in space. It's a group of people flying around in a spaceship that looks vaguely like a horse all wearing outfits that are the love-child of John Wayne and Mark Hamill's respective movie wardrobes. And they fly around to all these different planets that all look exactly like Arizona where they have bar brawls and shoots outs in canyons. And then occasionally the "Alliance" whose ships, uniforms, and attitude are a carbon copy of the Empire from Star Wars swoops in on a occasion to add a little extra tension. I found there was an astounding amount of predictability in the scripting and the acting a slight step above The Young and the Restless. I could not believe my eyes. This, this is what all the fuss was about? Really? They have the spaceship buzzing a herd of wild mustangs in the opening credits for crise-sakes!
Now I must admit I went into this with very very very high expectations. But what I found most appalling about this cornball show is that I effing LOVED IT!!!! I'm already half way through the season. It completely blows my mind that I can look at this show with extremely scrutinizing eyes find all its faults and still completely adore it. God I'm a geek, and my friends know it.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - The Wedding Cometh
The day we've all been waiting for, Nate and Shannon's wedding, is quickly approaching, and I'm in the middle of last-minute preparations to give the wedding a little Urban Samurai twist. What is it, you may ask? It's something I'm pretty good at, which means it involves office supplies...that's the only clue you're getting.
With the impending marriage of the giggly pair, we'll see a significant power shift in the ranks of the USP core company. We'll be evenly split between married and legally single folks, and you know what that means.
Start snapping your fingers, ladies, it's time for the gay boys to start dancing it out a la West Side Story.
OK, so there's really no power struggle, and our relationship statuses have absolutely nothing to do with how we run our theatre company.
But this will be the first wedding that can be credited to (or blamed on) Urban Samurai.
In other words, get ready for the stage debut of Shannon Kiley in a future USP production of Dinner With Friends.
Or...just buy me another drink. TIP IT!
Why I'm barely coherent when I write these blog posts is a mystery to us both. Check back next week, though, when I make a more serious attempt to muse on the theater scene in Vancouver, where I spent a glorious and patriotic Independence Day weekend where all Americans hope to find themselves on the 4th...Canada.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
With the impending marriage of the giggly pair, we'll see a significant power shift in the ranks of the USP core company. We'll be evenly split between married and legally single folks, and you know what that means.
Start snapping your fingers, ladies, it's time for the gay boys to start dancing it out a la West Side Story.
OK, so there's really no power struggle, and our relationship statuses have absolutely nothing to do with how we run our theatre company.
But this will be the first wedding that can be credited to (or blamed on) Urban Samurai.
In other words, get ready for the stage debut of Shannon Kiley in a future USP production of Dinner With Friends.
Or...just buy me another drink. TIP IT!
Why I'm barely coherent when I write these blog posts is a mystery to us both. Check back next week, though, when I make a more serious attempt to muse on the theater scene in Vancouver, where I spent a glorious and patriotic Independence Day weekend where all Americans hope to find themselves on the 4th...Canada.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Friday, July 2, 2010
my personal tech week
This coming week I will be entering my own personal tech week. Why? you may ask...well I am getting married in 8 short days, and to fellow samurai, Nate:) And as with any tech week that I have ever been involved in...I'm a little bit anxious.
That's silly, Shannon, why you've done so many tech weeks, you could probably work it out in your sleep by now! you may say...
I know, but that doesn't mean that I don't get all nervous and fear that I am forgetting something every time. My issue...the need for perfection. Yes, I do have reality checks that more than likely, not everything will go my way, or as planned. And contrary to popular belief, I'm totally fine with that. When I start tech for a show, I start with a picture in my mind of what I believe the director's intentions are. I have worked side by side the director, heard everything he said (even if he has changed his mind a million times), and can hear how he is saying notes to actors. It's weird and hard to explain, but perhaps that is why I am a stage manager, because of this weird quirk. Anyways, this is how I am going into this wedding tech week. I have a picture in my mind, from 9 months of discussions and planning, and I am looking for the same results as with a production on stage. Will everything go as perfectly as I see in my head? Probably not. And as I said before, I am totally ok with that. Just as long as it turns out alright, and people enjoy themselves at the wedding.
It is, afterall, a one night engagement!!
That's silly, Shannon, why you've done so many tech weeks, you could probably work it out in your sleep by now! you may say...
I know, but that doesn't mean that I don't get all nervous and fear that I am forgetting something every time. My issue...the need for perfection. Yes, I do have reality checks that more than likely, not everything will go my way, or as planned. And contrary to popular belief, I'm totally fine with that. When I start tech for a show, I start with a picture in my mind of what I believe the director's intentions are. I have worked side by side the director, heard everything he said (even if he has changed his mind a million times), and can hear how he is saying notes to actors. It's weird and hard to explain, but perhaps that is why I am a stage manager, because of this weird quirk. Anyways, this is how I am going into this wedding tech week. I have a picture in my mind, from 9 months of discussions and planning, and I am looking for the same results as with a production on stage. Will everything go as perfectly as I see in my head? Probably not. And as I said before, I am totally ok with that. Just as long as it turns out alright, and people enjoy themselves at the wedding.
It is, afterall, a one night engagement!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Summer escapeth me...
I'm uncertain as to how this happened. I had planned on having a great deal more room to breath at the end of a massive project push for my day job which wrapped up at the end of May. But since then things have only seemed to have ratcheted up to an absurd pace. You know that dream where you show up to work only to realize you aren't wearing pants. This scenario has become a real life active concern for me. I've had to reschedule a VO session 4 times in the last 24 hours. I feel as though I'm constantly putting out a thousand fires, half of which I helped start in the first place. I'm no longer forgetting what happened during the day a week ago, now I"m just forgetting the entire week. Someone once told me that time moves faster as you get older but this is getting a little absurd. I feel like I blink on Monday morning and when I open my eyes it's Monday morning the following week. I have a feeling that if this acceleration of time continues by the time I'm 50 I may generate a dimensional rift that sucks me into an alternate universe where people have tentacles on the backs of their knees and Carrot Top is President.
In other news I received offical word that USP got its MRAC grant for our 2011 season. Which is weird because I could have sworn I just turned that thing in a couple of days ago. Wait...which month is this?
In other news I received offical word that USP got its MRAC grant for our 2011 season. Which is weird because I could have sworn I just turned that thing in a couple of days ago. Wait...which month is this?
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - Curtains
The Tuesday Samurai has been a bad, little Samurai! I apologize for my absence over the last few weeks. Business trips, shows, hot weather, and a general sense of "What day is it?" all contributed to my completely spacing out on the blog! But those are silly excuses. What's important is that I'm back!
This weekend I'm off to Vancouver to explore a new city to which I've never been and spend some time with my parents, who will be "docking" in Vancouver for a conference after their Alaskan cruise, which followed a family friend's wedding in Seattle. Did you follow all that? Probably not...which means you still have your sanity. Quota nuts.
Moving on.
As I research a city to decide what I will do, I'm sure I won't shock anyone by saying that the actor son of an architect looks for the city's greatest architectural gems...theaters! Which got me thinking...I really love theaters. The actual structures. There's nothing like a classic theater in my eyes, which is why I love that USP performs at the Sabes Jewish Community Center. The house may be puzzling in it's wide and shallow seating area, but the wing space and full fly loft and attached shop...well...I just frakkin' love it!
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with theaters. I had a pad of grid paper and I would draw up plans for glorious theater buildings. Wing space, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, administrative offices, huge houses where every audience member has an awesome seat.
In other words, I had very few friends as a child. But the theaters I "built" were amazing!
And curtains. Don't get me started on curtains. When I was performing in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, I would often stand in the wings at the end of Act I to see the curtain fall on the "Rosemary" reprise. There's nothing like a good curtain falling to say, "See you in fifteen!"
In other words, I may have more friends now, but I'm still a huge geek.
And you know what? I'm OK with that. Because I know there's thousands of kids out there every year who are developing a love for live theater...somewhere, somehow...because of "geeky" things like floor plans and curtains. Or maybe their obsession is the look of a single light in an otherwise dark room, or how to accessorize clothing with things that look expensive but are super cheap. And all these geeky kids will come together one day and put on a show and it will make people laugh, cry, go "Wow", and wildly applaud.
And I'll be clapping with them.
Have a great Independence Day weekend! If you have any travel tips for Vancouver, shout 'em out!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
This weekend I'm off to Vancouver to explore a new city to which I've never been and spend some time with my parents, who will be "docking" in Vancouver for a conference after their Alaskan cruise, which followed a family friend's wedding in Seattle. Did you follow all that? Probably not...which means you still have your sanity. Quota nuts.
Moving on.
As I research a city to decide what I will do, I'm sure I won't shock anyone by saying that the actor son of an architect looks for the city's greatest architectural gems...theaters! Which got me thinking...I really love theaters. The actual structures. There's nothing like a classic theater in my eyes, which is why I love that USP performs at the Sabes Jewish Community Center. The house may be puzzling in it's wide and shallow seating area, but the wing space and full fly loft and attached shop...well...I just frakkin' love it!
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with theaters. I had a pad of grid paper and I would draw up plans for glorious theater buildings. Wing space, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, administrative offices, huge houses where every audience member has an awesome seat.
In other words, I had very few friends as a child. But the theaters I "built" were amazing!
And curtains. Don't get me started on curtains. When I was performing in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, I would often stand in the wings at the end of Act I to see the curtain fall on the "Rosemary" reprise. There's nothing like a good curtain falling to say, "See you in fifteen!"
In other words, I may have more friends now, but I'm still a huge geek.
And you know what? I'm OK with that. Because I know there's thousands of kids out there every year who are developing a love for live theater...somewhere, somehow...because of "geeky" things like floor plans and curtains. Or maybe their obsession is the look of a single light in an otherwise dark room, or how to accessorize clothing with things that look expensive but are super cheap. And all these geeky kids will come together one day and put on a show and it will make people laugh, cry, go "Wow", and wildly applaud.
And I'll be clapping with them.
Have a great Independence Day weekend! If you have any travel tips for Vancouver, shout 'em out!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Friday, June 25, 2010
shoes
I have spent the last couple of days up to my eyeballs in shoes...I have sorted through every pair of shoes in my theatre, separated by type and color, and then put in bins in a neatly organized manner. All in all, there is a total of 182 pairs of shoes.
I have been told or have overheard the significance of shoes with actors...putting on a new pair of shoes is similar to walking in that characters shoes. It helps build character, it's supposed to help them stay in character while in rehearsal (sometimes this is not accomplished so well), and it's supposed to give insight to how this character moves and such. My question is, why just the shoes? Why not the whole costume? Maybe jewelry perhaps? or even the makeup said characters use?
So as I understand the statement, 'walking in someone else's shoes', I guess I question why just the shoes?
This is what happens to a techie who is cleaning the costume room out. Ponderings about shoes...
I have been told or have overheard the significance of shoes with actors...putting on a new pair of shoes is similar to walking in that characters shoes. It helps build character, it's supposed to help them stay in character while in rehearsal (sometimes this is not accomplished so well), and it's supposed to give insight to how this character moves and such. My question is, why just the shoes? Why not the whole costume? Maybe jewelry perhaps? or even the makeup said characters use?
So as I understand the statement, 'walking in someone else's shoes', I guess I question why just the shoes?
This is what happens to a techie who is cleaning the costume room out. Ponderings about shoes...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
This Is How Plays Don't Get Written...
Since I last blogged
I saw and wrote reviews for the Twin Cities Daily Planet on "Le Squat" (Friday), "Baby With The Bathwater" (Saturday), and "The Mystery of Irma Vep" (Tuesday).
Worked the full-time day job the usual Monday through Friday, plus shifts at the Guthrie box office on Saturday and Sunday.
Started a project on my family to share with my goddaughter Ursula (we'll all feel more like sharing if we agree it's for a 1 year old).
Posted some new material on my website (the front page of which is in the limbo of redesign/software failure) - some scenes I've developed for The Flowershop Project's collaboration with Project 515 about civil rights for gay couples in Minnesota, one scene of which is being performed at Gay Pride on Sunday, the full singing/dancing/acting extravaganza will be on the Patrick's Cabaret stage in the fall.
A marketing/development meeting for the Samurai last night.
And the ongoing prep for blogging about this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival
However, since I have a meeting scheduled with director Matt Greseth on "Leave" for July 1, I'd best have some actual progress on the script to share.
So, enough blogging.
Time to actually start writing a play again.
Next week, a blog about actual rewrites. That's the goal anyway.
I saw and wrote reviews for the Twin Cities Daily Planet on "Le Squat" (Friday), "Baby With The Bathwater" (Saturday), and "The Mystery of Irma Vep" (Tuesday).
Worked the full-time day job the usual Monday through Friday, plus shifts at the Guthrie box office on Saturday and Sunday.
Started a project on my family to share with my goddaughter Ursula (we'll all feel more like sharing if we agree it's for a 1 year old).
Posted some new material on my website (the front page of which is in the limbo of redesign/software failure) - some scenes I've developed for The Flowershop Project's collaboration with Project 515 about civil rights for gay couples in Minnesota, one scene of which is being performed at Gay Pride on Sunday, the full singing/dancing/acting extravaganza will be on the Patrick's Cabaret stage in the fall.
A marketing/development meeting for the Samurai last night.
And the ongoing prep for blogging about this year's Minnesota Fringe Festival
However, since I have a meeting scheduled with director Matt Greseth on "Leave" for July 1, I'd best have some actual progress on the script to share.
So, enough blogging.
Time to actually start writing a play again.
Next week, a blog about actual rewrites. That's the goal anyway.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
A great first read...
I was bored at work today and decided to NOT work. Instead I read our play kicking of next season "Leave". Man, is it great already. I say already because if you have been reading this blog you know Our own Thursday Samurai has been hard at work adding and cutting and making this play even more stellar than it already is. If this keeps up we are going to have a mighty fine kick off to next season indeed!!!
Speaking of seasons, has anyone else announced theirs? I'm super curious to know what everyone else is excited for in the coming year. Other than our own stuff, I'm extremely excited to see "Next To Normal" when it comes through town.
SO!! Start commenting and tell me what you all want to see next year. I'm making it a personal goal to try and see at least one show a month. I need suggestions people :)
Speaking of seasons, has anyone else announced theirs? I'm super curious to know what everyone else is excited for in the coming year. Other than our own stuff, I'm extremely excited to see "Next To Normal" when it comes through town.
SO!! Start commenting and tell me what you all want to see next year. I'm making it a personal goal to try and see at least one show a month. I need suggestions people :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Beginning Is The End, The End Is The Beginning
Used to be I didn’t worry about the beginning of the play “Leave” too much. But both directors who’ve looked at recently had the same reaction. “When is this first scene taking place?”
That would be this scene.
A woman is visiting the grave of a young man. Which young man, we don’t know yet.
We also don’t know, right at the top, who this woman is, or how important she’ll be to the way things play out in the story.
I’d always thought it didn’t much matter when exactly the scene took place. I just assumed it was sometime in the near future, after the funeral that filled the grave.
That was lazy of me.
Not only was it vague, and subject to misinterpretation, it was a missed opportunity.
The instinct both of the directors had was to try and tie the scene to the narrative of the rest of the play. Which makes perfect sense.
One director suggested that maybe it literally be set right after the last scene of the play, a continuation of the funeral scene with everyone visiting the grave. We don’t want to give away the occupant of the grave, but we don’t have to in order to tie the two scenes together. At the end of the play, usefully enough, that same female character, Anne, is left alone for a moment at the grave by the other characters. She’s the last to leave. In fact, we don’t see her leave. She waits there by the grave, a moment to herself. The fallen soldier’s ghost is standing there with her. She doesn’t see or hear him, but he interacts with her, and the audience sees this. So at the end, Anne isn’t really alone.
Anne’s last lines as she stands at the grave at the end of the play (right now) are, “I’m sorry. Watch over my boy.” She’s speaking to the spirit she hopes, but doesn’t know, is present. She regrets she was unable to save him, and asks him to serve as a guardian angel for others still in combat.
The director thought maybe we could see the last person leaving Anne to her moment of solitude, walking away in his funeral garb. Thinking it over, I was worried someone just walking away might look like a mistake.
OK, what’s his last line before he goes? “You coming?”
To which Anne replies, “In a minute.”
He goes, she stands by the grave and says her last lines.
That works. Any way to push it back further? “You coming?” seems almost as weird a first line as starting a play in silence.
Then I realized if you just remove the ghost and his lines from that scene, the last page of the play is two people standing by a grave, with occasional silences for contemplation.
At the end of the play, the audience gets to look behind the veil, because they know the ghost for who he is. They feel the same loss the characters do. They get to watch him reach out to the others one last time, and try to say his goodbyes.
If we see the same moments at the beginning, sans ghost, we just know someone’s gone, something’s missing, and we get to spend time with a couple of characters trying to find that something in silence.
A moment’s pause with two people by a grave. Then, the guy by the grave says...
“Damn your heroic ass.”
Pause. He starts to leave, turns back to Anne.
“You coming?”
“In a minute.”
He goes. She says,
“I’m sorry. Watch over my boy.”
She could be talking to God just as easily as trying to make contact with the person who’s dead.
Then Anne launches into the speech at the beginning of the play.
I still need to finesse the transition into the material. The original beginning is a bit presentational, almost a direct address to the audience as much as a cry to heaven. Coming off an actual moment between two characters, it might be bumpy shift.
But the idea is kind of perfect. We get to see the same moment opened up with a new element at the end, when we can fully appreciate its impact.
And the play becomes a circle. The cycle continues. That can be both good and bad. War continues. People keep dying. But other people keep surviving, and manage to stay together. Mixed blessings. The things you lose help you appreciate and hold tighter to the things you have left. And if you still have something to lose, you have a reason to fight for change.
Toe in the water now. On with the rewrites of the rest of the play.
(This new version of "Leave, or The Surface of the World" will kick off Urban Samurai Productions' 2011 season in February.)
That would be this scene.
A woman is visiting the grave of a young man. Which young man, we don’t know yet.
We also don’t know, right at the top, who this woman is, or how important she’ll be to the way things play out in the story.
I’d always thought it didn’t much matter when exactly the scene took place. I just assumed it was sometime in the near future, after the funeral that filled the grave.
That was lazy of me.
Not only was it vague, and subject to misinterpretation, it was a missed opportunity.
The instinct both of the directors had was to try and tie the scene to the narrative of the rest of the play. Which makes perfect sense.
One director suggested that maybe it literally be set right after the last scene of the play, a continuation of the funeral scene with everyone visiting the grave. We don’t want to give away the occupant of the grave, but we don’t have to in order to tie the two scenes together. At the end of the play, usefully enough, that same female character, Anne, is left alone for a moment at the grave by the other characters. She’s the last to leave. In fact, we don’t see her leave. She waits there by the grave, a moment to herself. The fallen soldier’s ghost is standing there with her. She doesn’t see or hear him, but he interacts with her, and the audience sees this. So at the end, Anne isn’t really alone.
Anne’s last lines as she stands at the grave at the end of the play (right now) are, “I’m sorry. Watch over my boy.” She’s speaking to the spirit she hopes, but doesn’t know, is present. She regrets she was unable to save him, and asks him to serve as a guardian angel for others still in combat.
The director thought maybe we could see the last person leaving Anne to her moment of solitude, walking away in his funeral garb. Thinking it over, I was worried someone just walking away might look like a mistake.
OK, what’s his last line before he goes? “You coming?”
To which Anne replies, “In a minute.”
He goes, she stands by the grave and says her last lines.
That works. Any way to push it back further? “You coming?” seems almost as weird a first line as starting a play in silence.
Then I realized if you just remove the ghost and his lines from that scene, the last page of the play is two people standing by a grave, with occasional silences for contemplation.
At the end of the play, the audience gets to look behind the veil, because they know the ghost for who he is. They feel the same loss the characters do. They get to watch him reach out to the others one last time, and try to say his goodbyes.
If we see the same moments at the beginning, sans ghost, we just know someone’s gone, something’s missing, and we get to spend time with a couple of characters trying to find that something in silence.
A moment’s pause with two people by a grave. Then, the guy by the grave says...
“Damn your heroic ass.”
Pause. He starts to leave, turns back to Anne.
“You coming?”
“In a minute.”
He goes. She says,
“I’m sorry. Watch over my boy.”
She could be talking to God just as easily as trying to make contact with the person who’s dead.
Then Anne launches into the speech at the beginning of the play.
I still need to finesse the transition into the material. The original beginning is a bit presentational, almost a direct address to the audience as much as a cry to heaven. Coming off an actual moment between two characters, it might be bumpy shift.
But the idea is kind of perfect. We get to see the same moment opened up with a new element at the end, when we can fully appreciate its impact.
And the play becomes a circle. The cycle continues. That can be both good and bad. War continues. People keep dying. But other people keep surviving, and manage to stay together. Mixed blessings. The things you lose help you appreciate and hold tighter to the things you have left. And if you still have something to lose, you have a reason to fight for change.
Toe in the water now. On with the rewrites of the rest of the play.
(This new version of "Leave, or The Surface of the World" will kick off Urban Samurai Productions' 2011 season in February.)
Monday, June 14, 2010
That's right, deal with it.
I'm back. I was gone, but now I've returned, and you're just gonna have to live with it. And I know deep down you are relieved, that you missed me, that you were wondering after my well being. Well you can rest easy, friend, I'm here.
Where did I go? It's a long and interesting tale. Actually not at all. I simply got so focused on performing Bright Ideas that I forgot that Sunday is the day I'm supposed to blog. And once I was out of the habit, well... you get the picture.
But I'm back to talk about something very important, something that you may previously been unaware of. Wait for it.
Wait...
Aaron Sorkin lies.
Yes, that's right. The playwright of A Few Good Men is deceiving you all. And he is very cunning with his half truths. Indeed, the cast of A Few Good Men is really almost entirely men. With a singular exception. So even the men part is not 100% accurate.
However, it's the FEW that I take issue with. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, this bitch of a show has a cast of thousands, or so it seems looking at it from the pay-roll end of things. Or from costumes. Or casting, though Matt could speak to that better than I. And this lie is so very blatant.
A. Few. Good. Men. That is the title of the play, Ladies and Gentlemen. The promise of the playwright to his unsuspecting audience. And then he proceeds to revel in his deceits by producing not just a few good men, but a shit ton of them, I'm not even kidding.
His only possible redemption would be if he were implying that of all the testosterone on the stage, only a few of them were actually GOOD. Then I could be satisfied, and would happily retract all previous accusations and abuses of character.
In closing, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to say that none of this means anything, that I am not, in point of fact, angry with the playwright in any way, and am writing this entire diatribe in courtroom fashion, because, well, what we have here is a courtroom drama.
And if any of you want to pony up the paycheck for any of these 'few' good men, drop me a line.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
well it really isn't friday
hello all. in my mind it's friday. but in reality it's saturday. i have been scrambling the last two weeks to get all my time in at work. why would i scramble you ask? well, reason being, that i am heading out to vegas vegas vegas later this afternoon, and need to get all my work done, as the pay period ends whilst i'm away winning money and laying by the pool.
my project these last couple weeks have continued to be organizing the costume 'cage,' if you will. so far so good, although, i think there is far too much crap around. you see, i'm not what you would call a hoarder, or keeper of the memory makers. i like my life around me to be as simple as possible, and find that if i really haven't noticed something in, oh let's say a year or two, i really don't need to hold onto something. now don't get me wrong, i'm not that cold hearted. i do keep some important stuff, like things from my grandparents, and other what nots. but going through this costume cage is like taking the delorean back to the past. everything is extremely outdated, almost to the point of having to ask, will this really, really be used again, ever? my answer would be no. but if i were in charge, which i kind of am, the reasonable side would kick in and state, that you really never know.
therefore, i will just continue to organize and label until it is all put away in a neat and organized system...alphabetically of course. (not the actual costumes, just the prop costumes like animal headbands, scarves, and yarmulkes.)
ta ta for now, and if you haven't heard from me in awhile, i'm probably lost in the dust of the crap that is considered valuable to some...
my project these last couple weeks have continued to be organizing the costume 'cage,' if you will. so far so good, although, i think there is far too much crap around. you see, i'm not what you would call a hoarder, or keeper of the memory makers. i like my life around me to be as simple as possible, and find that if i really haven't noticed something in, oh let's say a year or two, i really don't need to hold onto something. now don't get me wrong, i'm not that cold hearted. i do keep some important stuff, like things from my grandparents, and other what nots. but going through this costume cage is like taking the delorean back to the past. everything is extremely outdated, almost to the point of having to ask, will this really, really be used again, ever? my answer would be no. but if i were in charge, which i kind of am, the reasonable side would kick in and state, that you really never know.
therefore, i will just continue to organize and label until it is all put away in a neat and organized system...alphabetically of course. (not the actual costumes, just the prop costumes like animal headbands, scarves, and yarmulkes.)
ta ta for now, and if you haven't heard from me in awhile, i'm probably lost in the dust of the crap that is considered valuable to some...
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - A Few Good Predicaments
OK, let's be straight. I really only have one predicament to discuss, but the title of this post wouldn't have been as fun if I couldn't loop in the title of our next production.
If I were to be bold, I would say the introductions I wrote of each Bright Ideas cast member leading up to the production's opening were a success. But A Few Good Men has a much larger cast. Which means I would have to start now in order to get through everyone before we open on September 24th.
So I'll come up with some other way of introducing you to the cast. If you have any fantastic ideas, feel free to get in touch with me. Until then, I am so excited about A Few Good Men and the three shows we've selected for 2011, that I almost can't stand it.
I'll be back next week recharged and ready to gab.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
If I were to be bold, I would say the introductions I wrote of each Bright Ideas cast member leading up to the production's opening were a success. But A Few Good Men has a much larger cast. Which means I would have to start now in order to get through everyone before we open on September 24th.
So I'll come up with some other way of introducing you to the cast. If you have any fantastic ideas, feel free to get in touch with me. Until then, I am so excited about A Few Good Men and the three shows we've selected for 2011, that I almost can't stand it.
I'll be back next week recharged and ready to gab.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Friday, June 4, 2010
It's Friday!!
At this point, being a few weeks out from doing any shows, I feel completely relaxed. I have been sleeping better at night and notice that my brain is far less scattered than usual. Although I haven't been doing shows per say, I have still been working my day job in a theatre. My mission; to finish cleaning up somebody else's mess. A year ago I did an overhaul of the prop room. What a mess that was. It was to the point that you couldn't even walk in the room. Now, everything is neatly put away in its own place, and documented exactly where it is in the room. A bit psychotic? Perhaps, but at least I know exactly what is in the room and how many items.
Now it's on to the costume cage. I have already gone through the daunting task of sorting through it all. Again, you can actually walk inside the room without tripping over everything. I had a "garage sale" of sorts and got rid of many bags of unusable "costumes." The remaining items are categorized as well as can be, and soon it will be a workable space.
My one question with going through the costumes is this: Why do people insist on putting everything 70's and 80's in a costume closet? And then keeping them for years? How often do companies actually put up a show that consists of the aforementioned costumes?
Ok, that's actually 4 questions. But you get my point. It's a lot of useless stuff to keep around, when all the costumer does is run to Savers and purchase new items. If it was up to me...everything would go and we would start anew.
But it is not, so I will just continue to make sense of a rather messy situation.
Now it's on to the costume cage. I have already gone through the daunting task of sorting through it all. Again, you can actually walk inside the room without tripping over everything. I had a "garage sale" of sorts and got rid of many bags of unusable "costumes." The remaining items are categorized as well as can be, and soon it will be a workable space.
My one question with going through the costumes is this: Why do people insist on putting everything 70's and 80's in a costume closet? And then keeping them for years? How often do companies actually put up a show that consists of the aforementioned costumes?
Ok, that's actually 4 questions. But you get my point. It's a lot of useless stuff to keep around, when all the costumer does is run to Savers and purchase new items. If it was up to me...everything would go and we would start anew.
But it is not, so I will just continue to make sense of a rather messy situation.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
What's A Minnesota Playwright Doing In Omaha?
I’ve been a very lax blogger. Apologies.
Currently, I’m down in Omaha, NE at the Great Plains Theatre Conference.
Freudian slip, I first typed “I’m done in Omaha” - which, depending on the day you caught me this week, wasn’t that far from the truth.
I comfort myself with remembrance of past blogs on the road from my pal Phillip Andrew Bennett Low when he was making his way around the country on the Fringe Festival circuit. I recall his remarks on how hard it can be to drum up an audience with a bunch of strangers. It takes a couple of years of coming back and coming back before people remember who you are. Loyalties don’t crop up overnight. And audiences aren’t all like they are in Minnesota. They feel no obligation (or interest) to come and see theater just because it’s there and it’s different and it’s something they haven’t had a chance to see before. The existence of something new in particular doesn’t excite them. There needs to be some other reason to go.
Plus if you’re a newbie, and your reading’s at 9am on a Monday morning, and a large chunk of the people you actually managed starting to get to know were out until 2:30 the night before getting drunk, well... let’s just say turnout for the reading of my play “Leave” was pretty slim.
The official attendance slip they handed me at the end, along with my two sheets of audience feedback, said 20 people. But let’s break that down, shall we? 6 of them were my cast, 2 of them were the designated responders from the conference (thank God for the designated responders at each reading or the authors wouldn’t be guaranteed any useful feedback), 1 was me, 4 were the tech crew (one of whom, god bless him, after two full days of readings and events, nodded off in a chair down the row from me - at least his labored breathing didn’t become a full-on snore, and he did wake up for the second half), 1 was I think a combination of a person who came for the first part but had to leave plus a person who sidled in toward the end reading her cell phone and sat in the back. So I actually had six audience members. 2 of whom were the parents of one of the actors, 1 of whom was a friend of the director, 1 of whom was a friend of another of the actors. So, of the community of playwrights at the conference, a whopping two showed up. Two that I’m very grateful to, and shall chat with the rest of the week, and whose readings I made sure to attend.
It’s been a good exercise in networking for me. Forcing myself to sit down with complete strangers at every meal and talk to them. Engaging them in workshops and on the fly between the various readings we’ve been attending. And I sat through readings during every slot they had one in the days preceding my own. So it wasn’t for lack of trying. But visibility takes longer to blossom in a foreign environment.
Still, it’s disheartening to go through a poorly attended reading of my own, then sit through two other readings later in the day that two to three times as many people in attendance, with the audience feedback flying through the air and enthusiasm very high.
I withdrew the day after my reading to work on a project I had a deadline for. I called home. I seriously considered leaving. But then I thought, no, I’ve already taken the time off, I’ve already driven down here, and it’s good to get away from the distractions of home and really be forced to focus on the writing, and trying to be a better writer. So I spent the day and the night Tuesday working on projects that forwarded my own writing. I took a break for lunch, since they feed us, and the lunch panel - with two men discussing their work in Africa, using theater to awaken community and promote healing after trauma. Then I plugged back into the community fully yesterday - another workshop, another reading, another evening of new theater being performed.
Even the disappointment is good because it makes me appreciate Minnesota so much more than I already did, which was quite a lot to begin with.
It makes me look forward to another major sit down with director Matt Greseth, to discuss the “Leave” script, like we did before I left for the conference - a talk I’m still processing all the notes from, but has given me a great source of inspiration with which to attack the rewrites.
And the workshops here have been helpful. And it has been good to see other plays, and types of playwriting. There are two plays in particular that really excited me, and that doesn’t happen often. Check out St. Fortune Productions - stfortuneproductions.com - and they’re also on facebook. John Gasper’s play “Strychnine” and Jack Frederick’s play “I Wouldn’t Piss Down Your Throat If Your Lungs Were On Fire” are amazing pieces of work. And the St. Fortune ensemble came down en masse from their base in Rochester, NY to support those readings and give the community here a real youth injection. It’s a good week to be one of the St. Fortune crowd. Great readings, good crowds, both well-deserved. But since I’m more than twice the age of either of those playwrights, I’m feeling more than a little old this week. Inspired, but old. Perhaps just a wee bit irrelevant, but I have to fight that.
Especially since everybody thinks “don’t ask, don’t tell” was magically solved just because it was in the news for a few days last week. I wish. It passed the House, but the Senate still has to vote on repeal “sometime this summer.” Then even if it passes as part of the defense spending bill, there are things in it the head of defense doesn’t like, and thinks are unnecessary expenditures. So he may ask the President to veto the bill, and back we go to the drawing board again. In addition, even it if clears all those hurdles, it’s not going into effect until the Pentagon finishes its survey of active duty military personnel, to see how they feel about lifting the ban. The hope is that this survey confirms that the time is right to make the change. But nothing’s certain. The Democrats are only trying to ram it through the legislature early (before the Pentagon finished their survey) because they don’t think they’ll have the votes to do it after the November elections.
It’s been a long time I’ve been waiting for this script of “Leave” to be a period piece. But it ain’t there yet. Will “don’t ask, don’t tell” be history by the February 2011 production of “Leave” by Urban Samurai? That would be a problem I’d love to have.
Well, that, and more than six people in the audience.
Currently, I’m down in Omaha, NE at the Great Plains Theatre Conference.
Freudian slip, I first typed “I’m done in Omaha” - which, depending on the day you caught me this week, wasn’t that far from the truth.
I comfort myself with remembrance of past blogs on the road from my pal Phillip Andrew Bennett Low when he was making his way around the country on the Fringe Festival circuit. I recall his remarks on how hard it can be to drum up an audience with a bunch of strangers. It takes a couple of years of coming back and coming back before people remember who you are. Loyalties don’t crop up overnight. And audiences aren’t all like they are in Minnesota. They feel no obligation (or interest) to come and see theater just because it’s there and it’s different and it’s something they haven’t had a chance to see before. The existence of something new in particular doesn’t excite them. There needs to be some other reason to go.
Plus if you’re a newbie, and your reading’s at 9am on a Monday morning, and a large chunk of the people you actually managed starting to get to know were out until 2:30 the night before getting drunk, well... let’s just say turnout for the reading of my play “Leave” was pretty slim.
The official attendance slip they handed me at the end, along with my two sheets of audience feedback, said 20 people. But let’s break that down, shall we? 6 of them were my cast, 2 of them were the designated responders from the conference (thank God for the designated responders at each reading or the authors wouldn’t be guaranteed any useful feedback), 1 was me, 4 were the tech crew (one of whom, god bless him, after two full days of readings and events, nodded off in a chair down the row from me - at least his labored breathing didn’t become a full-on snore, and he did wake up for the second half), 1 was I think a combination of a person who came for the first part but had to leave plus a person who sidled in toward the end reading her cell phone and sat in the back. So I actually had six audience members. 2 of whom were the parents of one of the actors, 1 of whom was a friend of the director, 1 of whom was a friend of another of the actors. So, of the community of playwrights at the conference, a whopping two showed up. Two that I’m very grateful to, and shall chat with the rest of the week, and whose readings I made sure to attend.
It’s been a good exercise in networking for me. Forcing myself to sit down with complete strangers at every meal and talk to them. Engaging them in workshops and on the fly between the various readings we’ve been attending. And I sat through readings during every slot they had one in the days preceding my own. So it wasn’t for lack of trying. But visibility takes longer to blossom in a foreign environment.
Still, it’s disheartening to go through a poorly attended reading of my own, then sit through two other readings later in the day that two to three times as many people in attendance, with the audience feedback flying through the air and enthusiasm very high.
I withdrew the day after my reading to work on a project I had a deadline for. I called home. I seriously considered leaving. But then I thought, no, I’ve already taken the time off, I’ve already driven down here, and it’s good to get away from the distractions of home and really be forced to focus on the writing, and trying to be a better writer. So I spent the day and the night Tuesday working on projects that forwarded my own writing. I took a break for lunch, since they feed us, and the lunch panel - with two men discussing their work in Africa, using theater to awaken community and promote healing after trauma. Then I plugged back into the community fully yesterday - another workshop, another reading, another evening of new theater being performed.
Even the disappointment is good because it makes me appreciate Minnesota so much more than I already did, which was quite a lot to begin with.
It makes me look forward to another major sit down with director Matt Greseth, to discuss the “Leave” script, like we did before I left for the conference - a talk I’m still processing all the notes from, but has given me a great source of inspiration with which to attack the rewrites.
And the workshops here have been helpful. And it has been good to see other plays, and types of playwriting. There are two plays in particular that really excited me, and that doesn’t happen often. Check out St. Fortune Productions - stfortuneproductions.com - and they’re also on facebook. John Gasper’s play “Strychnine” and Jack Frederick’s play “I Wouldn’t Piss Down Your Throat If Your Lungs Were On Fire” are amazing pieces of work. And the St. Fortune ensemble came down en masse from their base in Rochester, NY to support those readings and give the community here a real youth injection. It’s a good week to be one of the St. Fortune crowd. Great readings, good crowds, both well-deserved. But since I’m more than twice the age of either of those playwrights, I’m feeling more than a little old this week. Inspired, but old. Perhaps just a wee bit irrelevant, but I have to fight that.
Especially since everybody thinks “don’t ask, don’t tell” was magically solved just because it was in the news for a few days last week. I wish. It passed the House, but the Senate still has to vote on repeal “sometime this summer.” Then even if it passes as part of the defense spending bill, there are things in it the head of defense doesn’t like, and thinks are unnecessary expenditures. So he may ask the President to veto the bill, and back we go to the drawing board again. In addition, even it if clears all those hurdles, it’s not going into effect until the Pentagon finishes its survey of active duty military personnel, to see how they feel about lifting the ban. The hope is that this survey confirms that the time is right to make the change. But nothing’s certain. The Democrats are only trying to ram it through the legislature early (before the Pentagon finished their survey) because they don’t think they’ll have the votes to do it after the November elections.
It’s been a long time I’ve been waiting for this script of “Leave” to be a period piece. But it ain’t there yet. Will “don’t ask, don’t tell” be history by the February 2011 production of “Leave” by Urban Samurai? That would be a problem I’d love to have.
Well, that, and more than six people in the audience.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - I Still Think It's Tuesday
I have a sad confession to make. I have no idea what day it is. I literally thought yesterday was Monday and today was Tuesday. And it's been happening to me all week! At work today someone mentioned a meeting that occurs every Wednesday and my reaction was, "That's today?" So even though I've been reminded what day it actually is all day, I still sat down to write the Tuesday Samurai on my night off...which is always Wednesday.
What is my point? As usual, it's hard to tell in the beginning. But this week it's simple: I'm a moron.
And you know what? I'm going to embrace being a moron today. Maybe it will make me famous. As summer has unofficially began, I've been noticing all the advertisements for television's "summer season", which has traditionally been lighter fare. That's all well and good, I guess, but every summer I feel like there are even more reality-based shows. I say "based" because they aren't reality shows to me. A good reality show is something that requires talent, like Dancing With the Stars or Top Chef. What I have no interest in is what the Kardashian girls are up to today. Why do I even know who these people are? They are famous for absolutely no reason.
So, I'm going to give myself the day to do something stupid, none of which I'm being paid to put on camera, and tomorrow I'm going to wake up fresh and ready to embrace the fact that it's Thursday, not Wednesday.
My goal for the summer? Turn off the TV and see more theater. I encourage you all to do the same.
Perhaps I'll actually blog on the right day next week...
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
What is my point? As usual, it's hard to tell in the beginning. But this week it's simple: I'm a moron.
And you know what? I'm going to embrace being a moron today. Maybe it will make me famous. As summer has unofficially began, I've been noticing all the advertisements for television's "summer season", which has traditionally been lighter fare. That's all well and good, I guess, but every summer I feel like there are even more reality-based shows. I say "based" because they aren't reality shows to me. A good reality show is something that requires talent, like Dancing With the Stars or Top Chef. What I have no interest in is what the Kardashian girls are up to today. Why do I even know who these people are? They are famous for absolutely no reason.
So, I'm going to give myself the day to do something stupid, none of which I'm being paid to put on camera, and tomorrow I'm going to wake up fresh and ready to embrace the fact that it's Thursday, not Wednesday.
My goal for the summer? Turn off the TV and see more theater. I encourage you all to do the same.
Perhaps I'll actually blog on the right day next week...
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Theater: A Summary
Well, USP has closed another great show. And as we sharpen our theatrical katanas for our next production it is also a time to look back on our past endeavors for insight and wisdom to carry us into the future. In other words now is the time to reflect on the times that we've been super rockstar ninjafied awesome and also the times when we've violently spewed donkey ass all over the walls.
The challenge with running a small independent theater company, like many things, is that in order to be awesome you first have to spew a lot donkey rectum. And the more you achieve the more there invariably is to do. And then you have to learn how do that which almost always involves blowing more mule sphincter. So really its a vicious cycle of flying burro bunghole.
However, in the end when you see the final creation on stage and the joy or the tears on the audience's faces, when you look at the life long relationships that have been forged because of what you do, and look back at just how much you've made it through. It lifts you up, it inspires you to to push on, through the breech, through the countless mounds of ass anus. And that's really what being in theater is all about fighting through a whole lot of ugly to make something beautiful and meaningful.
The challenge with running a small independent theater company, like many things, is that in order to be awesome you first have to spew a lot donkey rectum. And the more you achieve the more there invariably is to do. And then you have to learn how do that which almost always involves blowing more mule sphincter. So really its a vicious cycle of flying burro bunghole.
However, in the end when you see the final creation on stage and the joy or the tears on the audience's faces, when you look at the life long relationships that have been forged because of what you do, and look back at just how much you've made it through. It lifts you up, it inspires you to to push on, through the breech, through the countless mounds of ass anus. And that's really what being in theater is all about fighting through a whole lot of ugly to make something beautiful and meaningful.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The summer....
So we didn't make it into the Fringe Festival this year (boo) so we actually get to take the summer off for a change. Well, as much as a working theater company can take time off. There is a lot of prep work for "A Few Good Men" for the fall. Have I told you how excited I am for the show?
Other than the fact that I'm getting married, I've decided to take the summer to support all of our other small theaters in this state. For the first time in a LONG time I really have nothing going on for a long stretch. I love a bunch of the theaters here in this lovely state and I have been very bad about attending other shows. Our very own Tuesday Samurai is in "Mame" in June. I must get out and see that. I also want to see "Saved By The Bell" at Bryant-Lake Bowl and "Bye Bye Liver". What else is playing that I must see this summer? Anyone got some ideas?
Other than the fact that I'm getting married, I've decided to take the summer to support all of our other small theaters in this state. For the first time in a LONG time I really have nothing going on for a long stretch. I love a bunch of the theaters here in this lovely state and I have been very bad about attending other shows. Our very own Tuesday Samurai is in "Mame" in June. I must get out and see that. I also want to see "Saved By The Bell" at Bryant-Lake Bowl and "Bye Bye Liver". What else is playing that I must see this summer? Anyone got some ideas?
Friday, May 28, 2010
One week out...
Well, it has been one week since all shows have ended for me. Do I feel a sense of relief? Yes. Is my mind a little clearer? Yes. Can I sleep better at night? Double Yes! Do I have an urge to get started on another show? Nope. Not yet anyways. Even though the Urban Samurai season is one complete calendar year, versus school years that other companies tend to follow, we samuraites still take the summer a bit easier. Does this mean I'm off the hook for doing anything for the whole summer? Well, not exactly. I have already started brainstorming who I would like to bring on as crew, and trying to calculate how much time I will have to take on multiple roles for the show. See, I like to be as involved as possible, especially when I am stage managing a show, because then I feel I can be on top of everything. Not in an egotistical way at all. But in a way, that by doing more, I feel more connected to the show. I know the ins and outs and what that process was to get there. I enjoy that part of getting a show up and running. To know exactly where we started and then where we ended on opening night. It's fun for me!
So what will I do for the summer? Try to put together the most perfect production I have done yet, my wedding. And now I must end, and get ready to do something I never do for a show...drive off to a fitting. There's always a first time for everything!
So what will I do for the summer? Try to put together the most perfect production I have done yet, my wedding. And now I must end, and get ready to do something I never do for a show...drive off to a fitting. There's always a first time for everything!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - Don't Cry For Me, Argentine Tango
We've got to stop meeting like this. It's not healthy to always be blogging when a Dancing With the Stars results show is playing from my DVR.
As (apparently) usual, I've managed to squeeze nuggets of poignancy out of the experience. All three of the finalists (Nicole, Evan, and Erin) chose the Argentine Tango as their favorite dance to be scored again as part of the finale. Now, even though it's easier to compare competitors when they're all doing the same thing, this is dance we're talking about. And dance is a live performance.
The sequence of dance steps may be different for each routine, but one generally knows what to expect. Similarly, the specific story told by a dance routine may change, but the general arc is "I love you, I hate you; I hate you, I love you." Or, more simply, "Let's have angry sex after this."
But it doesn't get boring. No matter how many Argentine Tangos one sees, if it's done well, it's fantastic to watch. There's the potential for unexpected brilliance on every lap around the dance floor.
Such is the excitement gained by other forms of live performance. Like theater. Why go to a play when you can get the DVD and watch it at home?
Because something very different may happen than what you expected. And that's exciting.
And speaking of something very different...it's the finale of DWTS. Which means I won't be bringing you any inane DWTS/vodka lemonade inspired posts anymore.
Or until the next season.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
As (apparently) usual, I've managed to squeeze nuggets of poignancy out of the experience. All three of the finalists (Nicole, Evan, and Erin) chose the Argentine Tango as their favorite dance to be scored again as part of the finale. Now, even though it's easier to compare competitors when they're all doing the same thing, this is dance we're talking about. And dance is a live performance.
The sequence of dance steps may be different for each routine, but one generally knows what to expect. Similarly, the specific story told by a dance routine may change, but the general arc is "I love you, I hate you; I hate you, I love you." Or, more simply, "Let's have angry sex after this."
But it doesn't get boring. No matter how many Argentine Tangos one sees, if it's done well, it's fantastic to watch. There's the potential for unexpected brilliance on every lap around the dance floor.
Such is the excitement gained by other forms of live performance. Like theater. Why go to a play when you can get the DVD and watch it at home?
Because something very different may happen than what you expected. And that's exciting.
And speaking of something very different...it's the finale of DWTS. Which means I won't be bringing you any inane DWTS/vodka lemonade inspired posts anymore.
Or until the next season.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Bright Ideas review...
Better late than never, right? Well here is a very fair review of the amazing show have been talking about. Take a look and then come see the show to form your own opinion!!
Rich in talent...
I am constantly impressed with the level of talent in this city. Case one would be the incredibly tlented cast of Bright Ideas. Sometimes I'm worried these people will realize how amazingly talented they are and move away to make their millions. For now I'll be happy to have them grace our company with their awesomeness :)
so only two more shows of Bright Ideas before our summer break. If you haven't had a chance to see this show yet, you must come. I have seen it so many times and I'm still laughing. It's that good. After the break we get to begin work on A Few Good Men. I'll be backing the USP stage playing Ross, the role made famous by Kevin Bacon. I'm excited to get to work on this one. Matt is back at the helm and we have again assembled an extremely talented cast. It is the perfect show to end our 2010 season.
Can you believe it's been 6 seasons already?!
so only two more shows of Bright Ideas before our summer break. If you haven't had a chance to see this show yet, you must come. I have seen it so many times and I'm still laughing. It's that good. After the break we get to begin work on A Few Good Men. I'll be backing the USP stage playing Ross, the role made famous by Kevin Bacon. I'm excited to get to work on this one. Matt is back at the helm and we have again assembled an extremely talented cast. It is the perfect show to end our 2010 season.
Can you believe it's been 6 seasons already?!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Final Weekend of Bright Ideas
Hello once again! The company is entering the final weekend of one of the most fun shows I have worked on in a long time. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed plenty of other shows, I've enjoyed other casts, I've loved other scripts, I've loved other directors, I've enjoyed other processes, but collectively at the same time (and nearly peed my pants often)? Nope. This show had it all for me! Even though I missed about a week and a half of rehearsals, and even though I felt overwhelmed at times, I'm really going to miss this show! Perhaps a large factor can be put simply; that I was able to laugh so much of the time?! Many of the shows as of late have been very much dramas. I think I just needed a little pick me up.
So I will be leaving this show with a smile on my face...although a bit saddened because I won't be seeing these fabulous actors and the fabulous director on a regular basis, it makes me wanting more. Which, for me, is hard to come by. I can't say it enough how much I have loved working on this show.
But onwards and upwards, moving right along...I will start prepping for A Few Good Men. Making spreadsheets and starting to get a crew together! You gotta love it:)
So I will be leaving this show with a smile on my face...although a bit saddened because I won't be seeing these fabulous actors and the fabulous director on a regular basis, it makes me wanting more. Which, for me, is hard to come by. I can't say it enough how much I have loved working on this show.
But onwards and upwards, moving right along...I will start prepping for A Few Good Men. Making spreadsheets and starting to get a crew together! You gotta love it:)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - Miley Cyrus Can't Be Tamed
I have some big news for you: apparently, Miley Cyrus can't be tamed. What the heck that means, none of us know. It has something to do with feathers and birdcages and gay backup dancers. That's right, friends, I'm watching the Dancing with the Stars results show again late at night after a long day, mixing in blog writing and a vodka lemonade, for good measure. Didn't we previously learn what a bad idea this is?
No matter. I have a point. I'm sure I have a point. Somewhere. Let's find it together, shall we?
Miley Cyrus. Where do I begin? I don't want to use the term "talentless hack" because I'm sure there's talent in there somewhere. But the girl is just that - a girl. She hasn't fully developed yet. And I'm not talking about her body, sickos, though it does concern me that she sounds like she's been on a pack a day since infancy. What I'm talking about is the fact that she hasn't fully developed as a talent. And it's evident in her career so far. Let's not pretend she didn't get that audition for Hannah Montana because of her achy breaky dad, Billy Ray. And the last time the country collectively agreed that nepotism was a good idea, we ended up with a two-term president who still didn't know how to pronounce "nuclear" after eight years.
Wow am I ever getting off point. That'd be the vodka lemonade talking. Well, that and common sense.
My point is that Miley Cyrus got her start as a performer for no reason other than being in the right place at the right time thanks to a father who found fame singing the wrong song at the wrong time (it works out if you think of "Achy Breaky Heart" being the right song during a time when everything, in retrospect, was just wrong, very, very wrong, a.k.a., 1992).
And here I've stumbled onto my point. Bright Ideas. You should really see this show. And if you've already seen it, you should see it again. I've seen it several times now (natch), and I always find something new on which to ponder. Why are Genevra and Joshua so obsessed with getting their son into that preschool? Is it really about what's best for their child, or are they more concerned with their own "status"? What does that mean about my parents, who put me in a Montessori preschool when I was that age? Did it make a difference? Is that why I'm a successful human being? Or am I successful? What is success? Does any of it really matter, anyway? Would I have been better off having skipped preschool and merely encourage my dad to contribute some cheesy lyrics to the line-dancing craze?
I'm just full of questions for which I have no answers. And that's why I love theater. You get something new every time!
The only thing I know for sure, though, is that I'm a child of the 80s. Which means my dad couldn't have written a cheesy song for the line-dancing craze that we (shamefully) saw in the early 90s. Perhaps if he'd jumped onto the Electric Slide bandwagon, my life would be different now. I could be the one shaking my tail feather (literally...there were a lot of feathers that I'm still desperately trying to connect to the song lyrics) on the Dancing with the Stars results show.
But with my luck, I'd just end up having some crazy, drunk guy write an incoherent blog post about me.
Wait...
I'll try to be a little bit less strange (but only the tiniest bit) next week.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
No matter. I have a point. I'm sure I have a point. Somewhere. Let's find it together, shall we?
Miley Cyrus. Where do I begin? I don't want to use the term "talentless hack" because I'm sure there's talent in there somewhere. But the girl is just that - a girl. She hasn't fully developed yet. And I'm not talking about her body, sickos, though it does concern me that she sounds like she's been on a pack a day since infancy. What I'm talking about is the fact that she hasn't fully developed as a talent. And it's evident in her career so far. Let's not pretend she didn't get that audition for Hannah Montana because of her achy breaky dad, Billy Ray. And the last time the country collectively agreed that nepotism was a good idea, we ended up with a two-term president who still didn't know how to pronounce "nuclear" after eight years.
Wow am I ever getting off point. That'd be the vodka lemonade talking. Well, that and common sense.
My point is that Miley Cyrus got her start as a performer for no reason other than being in the right place at the right time thanks to a father who found fame singing the wrong song at the wrong time (it works out if you think of "Achy Breaky Heart" being the right song during a time when everything, in retrospect, was just wrong, very, very wrong, a.k.a., 1992).
And here I've stumbled onto my point. Bright Ideas. You should really see this show. And if you've already seen it, you should see it again. I've seen it several times now (natch), and I always find something new on which to ponder. Why are Genevra and Joshua so obsessed with getting their son into that preschool? Is it really about what's best for their child, or are they more concerned with their own "status"? What does that mean about my parents, who put me in a Montessori preschool when I was that age? Did it make a difference? Is that why I'm a successful human being? Or am I successful? What is success? Does any of it really matter, anyway? Would I have been better off having skipped preschool and merely encourage my dad to contribute some cheesy lyrics to the line-dancing craze?
I'm just full of questions for which I have no answers. And that's why I love theater. You get something new every time!
The only thing I know for sure, though, is that I'm a child of the 80s. Which means my dad couldn't have written a cheesy song for the line-dancing craze that we (shamefully) saw in the early 90s. Perhaps if he'd jumped onto the Electric Slide bandwagon, my life would be different now. I could be the one shaking my tail feather (literally...there were a lot of feathers that I'm still desperately trying to connect to the song lyrics) on the Dancing with the Stars results show.
But with my luck, I'd just end up having some crazy, drunk guy write an incoherent blog post about me.
Wait...
I'll try to be a little bit less strange (but only the tiniest bit) next week.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Friday, May 14, 2010
Second show weekend
Our opening weekend went on without a hitch! Audiences just loved the show and I was so super proud of all the actors!! Especially for not breaking:) It just shows the professionalism of each of these actors. Considering they were cracking smiles or laughing at themselves or each other up until the final tech night, I was about 95% worried that someone was going to crack at some point, but I was completely wrong! Yay to the actors!
So now it's on to the second weekend, all my checklists are complete, more pasta has been made and balloons will be picked up! The stress level has far subsided now that everything is truly completed. Typically when a show opens I am already in rehearsals for another show, which means my focus has switched and even though I am nearly always on top of things, it just makes it that much harder to concentrate. But not this time! This time I get to sit back and enjoy this whole experience until the end!! And I hope you do as well!!
So now it's on to the second weekend, all my checklists are complete, more pasta has been made and balloons will be picked up! The stress level has far subsided now that everything is truly completed. Typically when a show opens I am already in rehearsals for another show, which means my focus has switched and even though I am nearly always on top of things, it just makes it that much harder to concentrate. But not this time! This time I get to sit back and enjoy this whole experience until the end!! And I hope you do as well!!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - A Chat with Jimmy LeDuc
Bright Ideas opened on Friday and opening weekend audiences seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. Were you among them? If not, what's wrong with you?! I kid, I kid (kind of). I know we're all busy people and we can't always make it to the opening of the latest hot show, but I'd better see you there sometime soon! You don't want to miss it - dark and biting...my kind of comedy. And the credit for bringing Eric Coble's excellent writing to the stage belongs to the marvelous director, Jimmy LeDuc.
Jimmy, the credit for our meeting belongs to mutual friend (and Bright Ideas cast member) Mykel Pennington. I heard a lot about "my friend, Jimmy" when I worked on a show with her, and I can only assume she passed on crucial information about me to you. What did she tell you and did I live up to the hype?
Mykel Pennington. She is amazing, isn't she? Not only talented but she is also charming, kind, and SEXY! I was in grad school at The University of Oklahoma getting my MFA in Directing. Mykel had just moved from Memphis (where we had first worked together when I directed her in Wit. The production was actually in Arkansas across the river from Memphis). Anywho, she mentioned working with you and Urban Samurai. The next thing I knew she was convincing me to move to the Twin Cities. She put me in contact with Matt first. I think I first met you via Facebook and Callboard. I volunteered to usher for Halfway Home and met you then. Since that time, we have gotten to know each other much better, especially when I was AD for Homeland Prayer. You have lived up to everything Mykel said. You are hilarious and talented.
How sweet you are...but it kind of seems like I was fishing for compliments, doesn't it? Hmm...let's try some less self-absorbed questions. Let's talk about YOU. Tell me about your personal history with theater.
I started doing theater when I was 9 or 10 after starting out taking tap dance at 3. I acted and also did some stage management. After college, I interned with Playhouse on the Square in Memphis. I did theatre in Memphis and then Atlanta working for several companies, mainly as an actor and teacher but I always wanted to direct. After I left Atlanta, I moved back to Memphis and began working as an assistant director and director and honing my skills. Then, I went back to school and got my MFA and now here I am. Since moving here a year and a half ago, I have worked with Lyric Arts as an actor and teacher. I also did an observership with Theatre Pro Rata, and have worked with USP twice.
Sounds like you've been all over the South, but what sold you on moving up here?
After grad school, I wanted to go to a place with a welcoming and vibrant theater community. The Twin Cities fit the bill for sure. I visited Mykel and fell in love and the rest is history, as they say.
Jimmy, we're far too young to refer to our lives as "history". At least for another year. But, I digress. How does the Twin Cities theater community compare to others of which you've been a part?
The Twin Cities is a great community. I love the people and the amazing talent here. The big difference between other communities is the sheer size of it and the amount of companies. There is not a week that goes by that you don't have your pick of a wonderful variety of plays and musicals. That is quite exciting. It is almost impossible to see everything. I love the support for the arts in the Twin Cities, too.
It's true - there is a lot of support out there, but the opportunities are almost overwhelming. I certainly hope Bright Ideas doesn't get lost in the mix! I've been so excited for this show since we first scheduled it over a year ago. What drew you to the piece and inspired you to propose it for USP's season?
In grad school, I was TA for a Performing New Plays class. I was helping the professor find plays and I stumbled across Bright Ideas. I fell in love with it. It was timely and timeless. The characters were contemporary but there was also a wonderful homage to Shakespeare and especially the Scottish play. I know USP often brings exceptional cutting-edge works and regional premieres to the area. I thought Bright Ideas fit that mission well so I proposed it. The rest is history, as they say...
No, Jimmy. We're not going to say it! Anywho...it sounds like this play has been with you for a few years. How has finally putting it on stage affected you?
The production has affected me in several ways. First off, I got to work with such a great company like USP. I really love playing with you guys. Secondly, I have worked with this tremendous cast. They have brought so much to the table and I have loved every minute of the process. This cast gave 150% every rehearsal and it shows in the characters they have created as they tell the story. Third, it is exciting to bring this timely story to life. Fourth, I have had the great pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people in the Twin Cities theater community through this process. Finally, I have also had the great fortune of being in contact with Eric Coble, who wrote this great script, via Facebook. He has been a huge supporter of our production.
That's awesome! I hope Mr. Coble knows we'd offer him free tickets... Now that Bright Ideas is open, what's next for you?
I have several projects in the works and am super excited about all of them. I am assistant directing The Glass Menagerie at the Jungle Theater. I am also assistant directing A Christmas Story at Children's Theatre Company. Next February, I go to Memphis for about four weeks to direct a production of Grey Gardens (one of my all time favorite documentaries and also musicals). We shall see what else I can get up to in the next year. I love staying as busy as possible doing as much work as I can. I always feel the more you work, the more you learn and grow.
Agreed. Though I'm exhausted/feel-like-a-slacker after looking at your upcoming projects! Jimmy, it has been such a joy to work with you, both during Homeland Prayer last fall and throughout the entire process for Bright Ideas. I hope to snag you for another project in USP's future, but in the meantime, we've been avoiding the big elephant in the room. The time is here. We need to address our mutual love for The Golden Girls.
The Golden Girls. Where do I begin? This show was a part of my childhood. We watched it every Saturday night in my house. Then, I rediscovered a love for it in reruns. I own all seven seasons on DVD. Truth be told, I had to order second copies of some of them from wearing them out. I think it is one of the funniest ensemble comedy shows ever created. The writing is crisp and the acting is stellar. Those four women were TRUE talent. I would have to say I am most like Dorothy with some Sophia thrown in. My mom's side of the family is Sicilian so I get that aspect of the humor. I also love sarcasm and quips so I just relate to that in Dorothy and Sophia. However, Blanche and Rose make me die laughing as well. Blanche's slutty quotes are brilliant and Betty White has amazing timing (and still does as SNL just showed us) The truth is, if I am having a bad day, I can turn on an episode and know I will smile. I brought the comic energy of the Girls to rehearsals by wearing my Stay Golden t-shirt (featuring a cast picture on it) whenever I could.
I know exactly how you feel. I remember watching with my family on Saturday nights as well...I even remember the "Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'" promo they did with Empty Nest in one of the later seasons. The Golden Girls is still as fresh as ever and, as you say, I always know an episode will put a smile on my face no matter how terrible my day was.
Yikes, Jimmy...could we be any gayer right now? I can't believe we're having a mutual love fest for The Golden Girls in my blog! OK, actually, I can totally believe it. The show is great, but we'll have to talk about it more later. It's time to wrap this edition of the Tuesday Samurai up...how should we end it, Mr. LeDuc?
To end this Mr. Grimes, I will leave you with one of my favorite exchanges from The Golden Girls:
Blanche: I have been told I bear a striking resemblance to Ms. Cheryl Ladd, of course my bosoms are much perkier.
Dorothy: Not even if you were hanging upside down by a trapeze!
I love it, Jimmy! Now, everyone, honor the Girls and get your tickets to Bright Ideas today by visiting urbansamurai.org!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Jimmy, the credit for our meeting belongs to mutual friend (and Bright Ideas cast member) Mykel Pennington. I heard a lot about "my friend, Jimmy" when I worked on a show with her, and I can only assume she passed on crucial information about me to you. What did she tell you and did I live up to the hype?
Mykel Pennington. She is amazing, isn't she? Not only talented but she is also charming, kind, and SEXY! I was in grad school at The University of Oklahoma getting my MFA in Directing. Mykel had just moved from Memphis (where we had first worked together when I directed her in Wit. The production was actually in Arkansas across the river from Memphis). Anywho, she mentioned working with you and Urban Samurai. The next thing I knew she was convincing me to move to the Twin Cities. She put me in contact with Matt first. I think I first met you via Facebook and Callboard. I volunteered to usher for Halfway Home and met you then. Since that time, we have gotten to know each other much better, especially when I was AD for Homeland Prayer. You have lived up to everything Mykel said. You are hilarious and talented.
How sweet you are...but it kind of seems like I was fishing for compliments, doesn't it? Hmm...let's try some less self-absorbed questions. Let's talk about YOU. Tell me about your personal history with theater.
I started doing theater when I was 9 or 10 after starting out taking tap dance at 3. I acted and also did some stage management. After college, I interned with Playhouse on the Square in Memphis. I did theatre in Memphis and then Atlanta working for several companies, mainly as an actor and teacher but I always wanted to direct. After I left Atlanta, I moved back to Memphis and began working as an assistant director and director and honing my skills. Then, I went back to school and got my MFA and now here I am. Since moving here a year and a half ago, I have worked with Lyric Arts as an actor and teacher. I also did an observership with Theatre Pro Rata, and have worked with USP twice.
Sounds like you've been all over the South, but what sold you on moving up here?
After grad school, I wanted to go to a place with a welcoming and vibrant theater community. The Twin Cities fit the bill for sure. I visited Mykel and fell in love and the rest is history, as they say.
Jimmy, we're far too young to refer to our lives as "history". At least for another year. But, I digress. How does the Twin Cities theater community compare to others of which you've been a part?
The Twin Cities is a great community. I love the people and the amazing talent here. The big difference between other communities is the sheer size of it and the amount of companies. There is not a week that goes by that you don't have your pick of a wonderful variety of plays and musicals. That is quite exciting. It is almost impossible to see everything. I love the support for the arts in the Twin Cities, too.
It's true - there is a lot of support out there, but the opportunities are almost overwhelming. I certainly hope Bright Ideas doesn't get lost in the mix! I've been so excited for this show since we first scheduled it over a year ago. What drew you to the piece and inspired you to propose it for USP's season?
In grad school, I was TA for a Performing New Plays class. I was helping the professor find plays and I stumbled across Bright Ideas. I fell in love with it. It was timely and timeless. The characters were contemporary but there was also a wonderful homage to Shakespeare and especially the Scottish play. I know USP often brings exceptional cutting-edge works and regional premieres to the area. I thought Bright Ideas fit that mission well so I proposed it. The rest is history, as they say...
No, Jimmy. We're not going to say it! Anywho...it sounds like this play has been with you for a few years. How has finally putting it on stage affected you?
The production has affected me in several ways. First off, I got to work with such a great company like USP. I really love playing with you guys. Secondly, I have worked with this tremendous cast. They have brought so much to the table and I have loved every minute of the process. This cast gave 150% every rehearsal and it shows in the characters they have created as they tell the story. Third, it is exciting to bring this timely story to life. Fourth, I have had the great pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people in the Twin Cities theater community through this process. Finally, I have also had the great fortune of being in contact with Eric Coble, who wrote this great script, via Facebook. He has been a huge supporter of our production.
That's awesome! I hope Mr. Coble knows we'd offer him free tickets... Now that Bright Ideas is open, what's next for you?
I have several projects in the works and am super excited about all of them. I am assistant directing The Glass Menagerie at the Jungle Theater. I am also assistant directing A Christmas Story at Children's Theatre Company. Next February, I go to Memphis for about four weeks to direct a production of Grey Gardens (one of my all time favorite documentaries and also musicals). We shall see what else I can get up to in the next year. I love staying as busy as possible doing as much work as I can. I always feel the more you work, the more you learn and grow.
Agreed. Though I'm exhausted/feel-like-a-slacker after looking at your upcoming projects! Jimmy, it has been such a joy to work with you, both during Homeland Prayer last fall and throughout the entire process for Bright Ideas. I hope to snag you for another project in USP's future, but in the meantime, we've been avoiding the big elephant in the room. The time is here. We need to address our mutual love for The Golden Girls.
The Golden Girls. Where do I begin? This show was a part of my childhood. We watched it every Saturday night in my house. Then, I rediscovered a love for it in reruns. I own all seven seasons on DVD. Truth be told, I had to order second copies of some of them from wearing them out. I think it is one of the funniest ensemble comedy shows ever created. The writing is crisp and the acting is stellar. Those four women were TRUE talent. I would have to say I am most like Dorothy with some Sophia thrown in. My mom's side of the family is Sicilian so I get that aspect of the humor. I also love sarcasm and quips so I just relate to that in Dorothy and Sophia. However, Blanche and Rose make me die laughing as well. Blanche's slutty quotes are brilliant and Betty White has amazing timing (and still does as SNL just showed us) The truth is, if I am having a bad day, I can turn on an episode and know I will smile. I brought the comic energy of the Girls to rehearsals by wearing my Stay Golden t-shirt (featuring a cast picture on it) whenever I could.
I know exactly how you feel. I remember watching with my family on Saturday nights as well...I even remember the "Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'" promo they did with Empty Nest in one of the later seasons. The Golden Girls is still as fresh as ever and, as you say, I always know an episode will put a smile on my face no matter how terrible my day was.
Yikes, Jimmy...could we be any gayer right now? I can't believe we're having a mutual love fest for The Golden Girls in my blog! OK, actually, I can totally believe it. The show is great, but we'll have to talk about it more later. It's time to wrap this edition of the Tuesday Samurai up...how should we end it, Mr. LeDuc?
To end this Mr. Grimes, I will leave you with one of my favorite exchanges from The Golden Girls:
Blanche: I have been told I bear a striking resemblance to Ms. Cheryl Ladd, of course my bosoms are much perkier.
Dorothy: Not even if you were hanging upside down by a trapeze!
I love it, Jimmy! Now, everyone, honor the Girls and get your tickets to Bright Ideas today by visiting urbansamurai.org!
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Success...
I attended the opening night of Bright Ideas last night and I have to say it was a pretty amazing show. I have been watching these guys do this show for about a week and a half now. The amount of work the talented cast has put into the show is nothing short of astounding. They were good a week and a half ago, then they went and put in even more awesomesauce. You really must go see this one. It is truly comedic gold.
After the show we hosted an ice cream social complete with all the toppings you would ever want. I had my fill of ice cream. So did the majority of the audience. So...much...dairy....
After the show we hosted an ice cream social complete with all the toppings you would ever want. I had my fill of ice cream. So did the majority of the audience. So...much...dairy....
Friday, May 7, 2010
OPENING NIGHT!
Tech week has come and gone. And the conclusion: This is one funny show! I have had a blast working with such a talented group of actors and one fabulous Jimmy LeDuc:) Sound is amazing, costumes are hilarious, the actors are ready for an audience, the set is painted and fun, the noodles are cooked, and the laundry is in the wash! Do I wish I had just one more day?! Yes. I still need to fix some trouble areas with the lights and would love more than anything to have my light board placed in the audience just one last time. Nothing like a little pressure...But all in all, things will be/are really ready to go! I have my checklist for the day written up, and my pen in hand to start checking things off. Things will get done and the show will be absolutely fabulous!
See you tonight!! With an ice cream social to top it off!
Check.
See you tonight!! With an ice cream social to top it off!
Check.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Fun! Fun! Fun!
All I've been hearing about the rehearsal process for Bright Ideas over the last several weeks is how good the show is and just how much fun the cast is having. Last week I had the honor of taking press photos for the show and I got a little taste of the fun they're having. And the fun you'll be having when you come to the show.
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Tuesday Samurai - Meet Mykel Pennington
The time has come. What once seemed an epic undertaking - weekly introductions of the cast of Bright Ideas - is now in its final installment. Whatever will the Tuesday Samurai do next week? I'll try not to think about it for now with a distraction from the lovely and talented Mykel Pennington, who may be the last cast member to be interviewed, but in no way do I consider her the least of anything.
It's old hat by now, but why break tradition? Why don't we start with your story of how we met.
We met while loading in for USP's original production of Protection Program. I had just moved to the Twin Cities and I was willing to whore myself out to any theatre company that would take what I was offering...and apparently my acting wasn't what USP wanted then. So, after only meeting the company members of USP at the audition of Protection Program, Matt, Aaron, and Nate kidnapped me and took me one hundred miles away, where my cell phone wasn't working, and for 17 hours I helped build your set. Days later, there you and I were fixing those walls to the ground and loading in costumes.
I totally forgot about your kidnapping! For the record, I was only an actor in that show - I wasn't yet a company member and bear no responsibility for your kidnapping. But I remember having a blast chatting you up during load-in. I didn't really know who you were or why you were there, but I thought you were fabulous.
But, I think we really became friends during our production of A Gaggle of Saints, where you and I played young Mormons in love. Which is where you won your Best Actor award and Matt [Greseth, USP Artistic Director] won an award for Best Director and I won everyone's respect...which is hard for a whore, but I really think Blanche in The Golden Girls won everyone's respect and I try to emulate her.
There it is. We did it! A Golden Girls reference in every interview! I loved doing A Gaggle of Saints with you, even if I messed up my lines now and then. We had a lot of lines to learn! And it wasn't all bad - how else would I have learned to not take Benadryl right before performing, no matter how bad one's allergies may be? Speaking of which, that was about this time of year, and here I am sniffling with watery eyes. Damned pollen! Whoops...getting off track again. (Is anyone surprised?) So...now that you've been in the Cities for a few years, in what theater would we have seen you in lately?
I have been lucky to have worked with some of the best theatre companies in town. With 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities, where I am a company and board member, I have been in The Naked I: Monologues from Beyond the Binary, Perfect Pie, and Hot 'n' Throbbing. I was lucky to work with USP in Touch, where I played a whore. And you, Mr. Grimes, dressed me as a whore. I was also in A Gaggle of Saints, as mentioned before, and Sense and Sensibility with The Cromulent Shakespeare Company. Bright Ideas has been my first full-length production in over a year, since I have spent the last year perfecting my craft at the airport as a customer service agent for Delta Airlines. THAT has proven to be my most challenging role yet.
Yeesh, I'd bet! I would totally try out multiple personalities if I worked for an airline. After all, what is the likelihood you'd see those people again? In fact, what a great way to rehearse for Bright Ideas, in which you play a multitude of characters. Do you have a favorite?
My favorite has to be Cate, a Southern know-it-all bitch of a mom, a little like Dorothy from The Golden Girls. I just wish I had Bea Arthur's height, like Marcia [Svaleson, Bright Ideas costar].
Don't sell yourself short (forgive the pun). You have your own...assets...that are put to good use in the show. But I don't want to spoil it for the audience! Bright Ideas reunites you with your good friend, [Bright Ideas director] Jimmy LeDuc, who I remember hearing a lot about while we were working together on A Gaggle of Saints. How long have you known each other?
I've known Jimmy LeDuc for almost seven years now. We met in Memphis, TN, where he had just finished directing an amazing production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and was now trying to cast the lead role in Wit. Fortunately for me, he was looking for someone who didn't have a Southern accent, and I had only been in the South for three years and hadn't yet perfected the drawl, so he cast me. Since that production, he has gone off to grad school and only become a more confident and amazing director. And I cannot believe how lucky we are to have him in the Twin Cities! Yeah! I love Jimmy!
Down, girl. But I must confess, your enthusiasm is intoxicating and I'm so pumped to see Bright Ideas in its full form this weekend! Any other projects coming up afterward?
I hope so. Right now I'm learning to balance my roles of Mother, Wife, and CSA (Customer Service Agent). Theatre is, and will always be, a huge part of who I am. But I am no longer the Theatre Whore I used to be. Right now I have to pick every project I do very carefully. Fortunately, I have some really amazing directors that I have worked with that I will work with again; if they think of a role that might work for me, hopefully they will let me know to audition. Which is why I am working with Jimmy!!! Because he is awesome and I came out of semi-retirement for him. Right now I'm looking for small, meaty parts that let me perform AND be home a majority of the week. I love theatre, but I also love my family. They are pretty awesome!
You sound so happy...it makes me sick! Totally kidding. Having met your family, I can't say I blame you. Your girls are adorable, and your gorgeous husband never seems to have a shirt on when he answers the door. Not that I noticed, or anything...hey, look, a UFO! Speaking of aliens, I have to confess I've never seen ET. Any popular "must-see" movies you'd like to confess to not seeing?
Popular movies? I've seen them all! You haven't seen ET? What?! Do you have NO soul? I just watched that with my daughter, Sophia (named after Estelle Getty's character on The Golden Girls).
Are you for real? Or are you just trying to win the contest for most Golden Girls references in a single Tuesday Samurai interview?
No matter. I had a blast with Mykel and want to thank her, Marcia, Josh, Courtney, and Ryan for making my last five weeks of blog posts such a hilarious, Golden Girls-infused adventure!
Now that you've met the cast, it's time to see them in action. Bright Ideas opens this Friday! Get your tickets now at urbansamurai.org. All opening weekend (May 7-9) tickets are 2-for-1, and we'll be having an Ice Cream Social following the opening night performance, in honor of the spirit of Bright Ideas. I hope to see all of you there!
No shirts, no shoes, no ice cream. Unless you're Mykel's husband.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
It's old hat by now, but why break tradition? Why don't we start with your story of how we met.
We met while loading in for USP's original production of Protection Program. I had just moved to the Twin Cities and I was willing to whore myself out to any theatre company that would take what I was offering...and apparently my acting wasn't what USP wanted then. So, after only meeting the company members of USP at the audition of Protection Program, Matt, Aaron, and Nate kidnapped me and took me one hundred miles away, where my cell phone wasn't working, and for 17 hours I helped build your set. Days later, there you and I were fixing those walls to the ground and loading in costumes.
I totally forgot about your kidnapping! For the record, I was only an actor in that show - I wasn't yet a company member and bear no responsibility for your kidnapping. But I remember having a blast chatting you up during load-in. I didn't really know who you were or why you were there, but I thought you were fabulous.
But, I think we really became friends during our production of A Gaggle of Saints, where you and I played young Mormons in love. Which is where you won your Best Actor award and Matt [Greseth, USP Artistic Director] won an award for Best Director and I won everyone's respect...which is hard for a whore, but I really think Blanche in The Golden Girls won everyone's respect and I try to emulate her.
There it is. We did it! A Golden Girls reference in every interview! I loved doing A Gaggle of Saints with you, even if I messed up my lines now and then. We had a lot of lines to learn! And it wasn't all bad - how else would I have learned to not take Benadryl right before performing, no matter how bad one's allergies may be? Speaking of which, that was about this time of year, and here I am sniffling with watery eyes. Damned pollen! Whoops...getting off track again. (Is anyone surprised?) So...now that you've been in the Cities for a few years, in what theater would we have seen you in lately?
I have been lucky to have worked with some of the best theatre companies in town. With 20% Theatre Company Twin Cities, where I am a company and board member, I have been in The Naked I: Monologues from Beyond the Binary, Perfect Pie, and Hot 'n' Throbbing. I was lucky to work with USP in Touch, where I played a whore. And you, Mr. Grimes, dressed me as a whore. I was also in A Gaggle of Saints, as mentioned before, and Sense and Sensibility with The Cromulent Shakespeare Company. Bright Ideas has been my first full-length production in over a year, since I have spent the last year perfecting my craft at the airport as a customer service agent for Delta Airlines. THAT has proven to be my most challenging role yet.
Yeesh, I'd bet! I would totally try out multiple personalities if I worked for an airline. After all, what is the likelihood you'd see those people again? In fact, what a great way to rehearse for Bright Ideas, in which you play a multitude of characters. Do you have a favorite?
My favorite has to be Cate, a Southern know-it-all bitch of a mom, a little like Dorothy from The Golden Girls. I just wish I had Bea Arthur's height, like Marcia [Svaleson, Bright Ideas costar].
Don't sell yourself short (forgive the pun). You have your own...assets...that are put to good use in the show. But I don't want to spoil it for the audience! Bright Ideas reunites you with your good friend, [Bright Ideas director] Jimmy LeDuc, who I remember hearing a lot about while we were working together on A Gaggle of Saints. How long have you known each other?
I've known Jimmy LeDuc for almost seven years now. We met in Memphis, TN, where he had just finished directing an amazing production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and was now trying to cast the lead role in Wit. Fortunately for me, he was looking for someone who didn't have a Southern accent, and I had only been in the South for three years and hadn't yet perfected the drawl, so he cast me. Since that production, he has gone off to grad school and only become a more confident and amazing director. And I cannot believe how lucky we are to have him in the Twin Cities! Yeah! I love Jimmy!
Down, girl. But I must confess, your enthusiasm is intoxicating and I'm so pumped to see Bright Ideas in its full form this weekend! Any other projects coming up afterward?
I hope so. Right now I'm learning to balance my roles of Mother, Wife, and CSA (Customer Service Agent). Theatre is, and will always be, a huge part of who I am. But I am no longer the Theatre Whore I used to be. Right now I have to pick every project I do very carefully. Fortunately, I have some really amazing directors that I have worked with that I will work with again; if they think of a role that might work for me, hopefully they will let me know to audition. Which is why I am working with Jimmy!!! Because he is awesome and I came out of semi-retirement for him. Right now I'm looking for small, meaty parts that let me perform AND be home a majority of the week. I love theatre, but I also love my family. They are pretty awesome!
You sound so happy...it makes me sick! Totally kidding. Having met your family, I can't say I blame you. Your girls are adorable, and your gorgeous husband never seems to have a shirt on when he answers the door. Not that I noticed, or anything...hey, look, a UFO! Speaking of aliens, I have to confess I've never seen ET. Any popular "must-see" movies you'd like to confess to not seeing?
Popular movies? I've seen them all! You haven't seen ET? What?! Do you have NO soul? I just watched that with my daughter, Sophia (named after Estelle Getty's character on The Golden Girls).
Are you for real? Or are you just trying to win the contest for most Golden Girls references in a single Tuesday Samurai interview?
No matter. I had a blast with Mykel and want to thank her, Marcia, Josh, Courtney, and Ryan for making my last five weeks of blog posts such a hilarious, Golden Girls-infused adventure!
Now that you've met the cast, it's time to see them in action. Bright Ideas opens this Friday! Get your tickets now at urbansamurai.org. All opening weekend (May 7-9) tickets are 2-for-1, and we'll be having an Ice Cream Social following the opening night performance, in honor of the spirit of Bright Ideas. I hope to see all of you there!
No shirts, no shoes, no ice cream. Unless you're Mykel's husband.
Ryan Grimes
Managing Director
Urban Samurai Productions
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